The Price of Destiny
by FoxoftheDesert
Summary: AU RedQueen - Destiny like magic comes with a price, and for Ruby, it was one that she would never forget paying.
1. Prologue

**Intro Notes** : Howdy, folks! I'm back again with yet another RedQueen offering, this time with a post-season 4a AU project that has been in the making for over a year. Way back in Nov. 2014, I noticed some fics for RQ week and on a whim started reading them. Didn't take me long to get hooked, and before I knew it I was writing this story.

It's gone through many changes and grown far beyond my initial conception into something much greater than one story and contains scenes that challenged me as a writer more than any other project I've tackled. Weighing in at 22 chapters plus prologue and epilogue, it was the longest story I'd ever written, and all in all, I am proud of it if only that I finished such a mammoth project.

As with all my stories, it is self-edited, so please bear that in mind. As many times as I've edited and re-edited some of these chapters, I have probably lost all perspective. I tried to keep characterization consistent, but there will probably be some of my own quirks and opinions that have slipped through the cracks, so before I post much more, I'll probably try and hunt down someone willing to read through it if only to make sure that the characters are acceptably rendered and that continuity is maintained, as well as checking for stupid errors I've left in. So, if it takes a little while to get chapter 1 up, that's why. In any case, this is a pre-written work, so there is no worry that it won't get posted in its totality unless something unexpected happens.

As for this prologue...yeah, I didn't intend for it to get so long. Sorry! =P Since the rest of the story is RQ-established, I wanted to give some background in the form of where it all began for our favorite ladies, but I got a little lost in Ruby's head. I am chronically over-descriptive I suppose.

Finally, I hope you all enjoy the ride because even though it was arduous and trying at times, I loved writing it.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

Prologue

Ruby Lucas was going stir crazy. It was nearly two o'clock in the afternoon and in the hour since the lunch crowd had petered out only a string of individual customers had come through the diner. Smoothing a hand down her painted on jeans, she sighed in exasperation.

Since there were no customers to serve, she was left with nothing to do but the kind of busy work that never failed to make her feel all fidgety and cross-eyed to the point of distraction. Of all of her responsibilities around the diner, those she hated most were the mind numbing but necessary tasks of folding up silverware in napkins, stacking cups and glasses, and wiping down tables and counters. But since there was none of that to occupy herself with, she was having to do her least favorite job, which was sorting through the daily receipts and invoices in order to match them up for accounting purposes.

Ruby was a people person, so she was most in her element while working in a packed and bustling environment. Just being out there among the crowd, flitting between tables while keeping up casual conversations with up to a dozen people at a time made her feel so alive and focused that whatever might be bothering her at any given time would just fade away into the background. No other waitresses Granny employed had her efficiency level to navigate the process of taking orders, turning them in, keeping track of them, filling and refilling drinks, while at the same time personalizing interactions with customers in ways that made them want to come back to the diner time and time again. Of course, that Granny's was just about the only game in town was beside the point.

It was Ruby's innate skill with people that made her so good at her job, which was kind of ironic considering her past back in the Enchanted Forest. Back then, she had went to great pains to isolate herself from others, but being Ruby for almost three decades had brought out a socially gregarious side of her personality that had previously been smothered under layers of werewolf related stress and anxiety. And even though she had her memories back of being Red, she liked that part of Ruby enough that she chose to embrace it rather than to withdraw back in to herself as she sometimes wanted to do. As it was, with such confidence flowing through her, there wasn't a person she met that she couldn't talk to or make feel like they were welcome and that she was overjoyed to be given the opportunity to serve them.

Of course, Ruby was not so delusional as to recognize there were other reasons besides her sparkling personality that prompted people to frequent the diner. One such reason was due to the fact that there was not much else in the way of choice, but another less palatable reason was to ogle her, and it wasn't vanity that made her believe that. An incredibly good waitress she may be, but it wasn't her people skills that were being stared at whenever she bent over to refill someone's coffee.

Ruby supposed it should be flattering that folks of both genders thought she was attractive, but mostly it just annoyed her. Though she had long since grown used to the leering due to Regina's risqué sartorial preferences for her during the curse (her old work uniform was, she liked to complain, the gift that kept on giving), she was honestly getting tired of being seen only as a sexual object. Lately she had been longing to form a meaningful connection with someone – anyone really – that was willing to look beyond her generally pleasing physical aesthetics to the human being within who just wanted someone to love her. Flattery was nice and all, in fact it once would have been enough to get her into bed, but now that the Curse was over, being told she was beautiful no longer held any meaning.

After decades of people only knowing who she was because her body was practically on display on a daily basis, Ruby wanted more. The status quo was no longer enough. She was hungry for someone to share her life with who was willing to invest in her as a person and not just as an object of fancy, someone who could respect that she had preferences and aversions, flaws and strengths, and that despite all that had gone wrong in her life, she still had hopes and dreams that she longed to see fulfilled.

For most of her adult life she had sat on the sidelines, putting her life on hold for the sake of those who commanded her love and loyalty. Having hovered so long in the shadows of others – of Snow and Charming and Emma and everybody else who called themselves a hero – Ruby was finally ready to reach out and lay claim on something that could belong to no one else but her. Was it selfish? Maybe. Probably. Almost certainly. But frankly it was time for her to be selfish. She had lived her life for others for far too long now. It had to end. And although she felt somewhat guilty for even feeling that way, she needed to live for herself now while she still had motivation left to do so.

Since Peter's death, Ruby had not been in a relationship of substance, and to be honest she was starving for companionship beyond what little Granny and her busy acquaintances could provide. Wolves were not made to be solitary creatures, so it was only natural that werewolves would be the same, and at present, she was feeling very much like a wolf without a pack. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Snow, David, and Granny had served in that capacity in lieu of her kindred, but things had changed much in that regard, and to an alarming degree.

Granny, the only blood family Ruby had ever really known, was working longer hours now and spending more and more of what free time she had with Marco, August Booth aka Pinocchio's father. For all of her life, Granny had been the one person she could count on to put her first, and it seemed lately that was no longer the case. And while Ruby was happy for her grandmother, she missed the old woman's constant hovering and gruff admonitions. At least when Granny was yelling at her, Ruby knew she still cared.

Then there was Snow, her best friend, and Charming, a man Ruby had once considered a brother, both of which had somewhat withdrawn from her since reuniting with their daughter, Emma, and finding out they had a grandson. Not long after that, Snow and Emma got stuck in Fairy Tale Land after being sucked into Jefferson's hat, which left Ruby in a constant state of anxiety for their well-being. Adding to that stress was the fact that she had to deal with her first Wolf's Time in Storybrooke without her two closest friends in the world. Without Snow or Emma around to help her, she had leaned on David, who to his credit tried to be a good friend and was there when she had needed him, but it was not the same.

And then Snow and Emma came back and with them troubles aplenty. First with Cora's emergence and eventual defeat, and then Henry was abducted to Neverland so the whole gang minus Ruby and Belle departed for Neverland to retrieve him. Once again, she was bereft of the only people who helped assuage the stinging bite of loneliness. For a while she had leaned heavily on Belle, but the girl's oppressive and very unhealthy concern for Rumplestiltskin was too much for an already overloaded Ruby to deal with. Pretty soon, she had sequestered herself save for her shifts at the Diner, spending long and lonely nights holed up in her apartment in her pajamas watching endless amounts of TV and eating carton upon carton of ice cream. It was shameful behavior but she had felt it her only valid option to cope without resorting to more drastic measures.

After dealing with the villainous Pan, there hadn't even been time to breathe again before the town was being swept away back to the Enchanted Forest. A year in that hell passed during which Ruby was once again relegated to being a person-shaped prop to help her friends get back home to their daughter. Upon arriving back in Storybrooke through another Curse, both David and Snow became so busy with their own problems that they rarely ever called to check on her anymore, and their increasing vacancy from her life had left her without the anchor she had relied on for stability since the day she left her home with Granny to join Snow on the run.

Compounding the loneliness Ruby dealt with on a daily basis was the unfortunate reality that her only other true friends in town, Victor Whale and Belle, were equally preoccupied. Being the only licensed surgeon in a town prone to being attacked by some villain or another and which found itself in turmoil on an almost constant basis meant that Victor had been working slavishly at the hospital of late. The insane hours he was putting in left little time for a social life outside of their standing monthly appointment for drinks, which did help to stem the tide of Ruby's isolation, but only just enough that she didn't wither away completely.

As for Belle, she was currently working through her own sorrows caused by Rumplestiltskin's latest betrayal, mostly accomplishing this by pulling double duty as town librarian and default proprietor of Gold's Pawnshop. On occasion Ruby would bring her heartbroken friend a meal and they would share lunch together, but just as with Victor, it was not really enough to fill the void in her life that refused to go away. At times, especially when she was home alone at night, the darkness threatened to swallow her whole.

Without her friends to lean on for support, Ruby was left to fend for herself more often then not, and it was a disconcerting feeling that left her aimless as if adrift on the ocean in a leaky vessel without the aid of a compass or paddle. Too often these days she was reduced to hiding her struggles from everyone around her by putting on a brave face and stuffing her pain down into a little box in order to bide her time until the full moon came around.

During Wolf's Time, she was able to occupy herself by living amongst the wolves that roamed the forests fencing in Storybrooke from the outside world. Only when she was with her less sentient kin did she feel a sense of belonging, of community, that at least for a time assuaged the pain of living such a barren existence. And while her nights with the wolves of Storybrooke helped sustain her through the long weeks that followed until the next full moon, for the most part the reality remained ever pressing upon her that she was, in essence, alone.

With everyone else occupied and being essentially trapped in a town not exactly filled to the brim with acceptable prospects with whom to share her life, Ruby was left exposed to a dangerous set of circumstances that could very easily lead to depression. To prevent that, she tried to focus on work and on contenting herself with being happy that her friends were happy. That was, after all, what she had fought so long and sacrificed so much for: to see Snow freed from Regina's vendetta, free to have a family and get on with her life without the pervasive cloud of doom she used to live under. The victory they had achieved by simply surviving it all was something Ruby was genuinely proud of, but since that was accomplished, she found herself lacking purpose outside of her job, and seeing that Granny refused to allow her more than 50 hours a week, it left a lot of free time for her to dwell on her lack of direction and the relative dearth of companionship that seemed to haunt her day and night.

Sometimes when she was feeling particularly low, Ruby almost wished she was back under the Curse, if only so that she could continue on with her fruitless attempts to drink and fornicate her problems away. At least then her pain would be numbed and she would have someone to share her bed with if only for a night. Unfortunately, that was not an option anymore.

Since regaining that part of herself that was Red, she could no longer tolerate some of Ruby's excesses, even though she wished at times she could. Today was one such day, a bleak afternoon in which the sun never seemed to shine for long before being swallowed up by a bitterly dark cloud, and with so little to do to occupy her mind, it was not getting any better. Normally as Ruby she would have entertained herself by calling a friend or a casual acquaintance on the phone to chit-chat the boredom away until her shift was over and she was free to go on the prowl for whatever her overly healthy appetite craved. But being half Ruby and half Red meant she was really neither, for she lacked Red's more confident sense of purpose as well as Ruby's fun-loving nature. Because of that, she just didn't quite know what to do with herself.

Thankfully, a few minutes later while she was matching up receipts for the fifth time, the bell on the door rang, signaling that a new customer had arrived. Looking up with a hopeful expression, Ruby watched as Regina Mills – recently reinstated mayor and resident badass sorceress – walked through the doors, a withdrawn expression on her face.

Ruby's heart sank. She had been made aware through Snow of what transpired between Regina and Robin to end their relationship. When Emma returned from the past a month and a half ago, she did not come back alone, and through a series of events that Ruby was still trying to understand, the Savior had brought back Regina's half-sister Zelena (who was supposed to be dead but somehow wasn't) with her.

As it turned out, Zelena had murdered Marian in that timeline with the purpose of replacing Robin's lost wife to torment Regina. Unfortunately in the process of doing so, the Wicked Witch had discovered that Robin's deceased wife was a prisoner of the Evil Queen and had been scheduled for execution. When Zelena confessed that not-so-insignificant fact to Robin, he quickly realized that Regina had been responsible for Marian's death in the current timeline. Though he professed to still care for Regina a great deal, the transgression was something he could not look beyond, and so mired with grief, he took his son and left town no less than a week later.

Obviously, Regina was devastated by the loss since she had been lead to believe Robin was her soul mate. To a woman whose life was defined by suffering loss after loss, it was a crushing blow. And though it was true the former Queen was a prickly person at the best of times and was contentious, stubborn, condescending, and generally infuriating on any normal day, Ruby would not wish that kind of pain on anyone, not when she could still remember the pain of losing Peter. But while Ruby had only lived through such torment once, Regina had been made to live through it twice.

Long ago, Snow had told Ruby about the day she met Regina, when the brave and beautiful young woman the Queen once was had saved her from being trampled by her runaway horse, and that later on she had met Regina's first love, a stable boy named Daniel with whom the brave young noblewoman planned to run away. Tragically, before they could escape, Snow had inadvertently revealed their plans to Cora, who had responded by murdering Daniel right in front of her horrified daughter. It was a terrible story that triggered all kinds of traumatic memories for Ruby of Peter. In a way, she thought the devastating nature of their losses made her and Regina more alike than either could have ever imagined, and it was the first time she had ever felt sympathy for the woman who had more than earned the moniker: the Evil Queen.

Returning her focus to the present, Ruby observed intently as Regina made her way to the back of the diner, now a far cry from a person who had once lived to terrorize others. As she walked, an aura of deep melancholy seemed to follow her around, expressing itself via her posture. With the way her shoulders slumped forward, her facial features were drawn, and by her sluggish movements, it was obvious that Regina was struggling through her own battle with depression, and the sight of the normally regal and confident woman so cowed by life tugged at Ruby's heart. Someone so strong, so grandiose and larger than life, she thought, should never appear so very frail.

Once Regina chose a booth – the one opposite from the entrance – she slid into the side against the wall and pressed into the corner as if trying to make herself as tiny as possible. Perhaps that was how she felt, small and insignificant, and the very idea that Regina Mills, the daunting woman who had always commanded respect if not outright fear, could be so diminished made Ruby ache with sadness.

On a day in which it was already hard enough to deal with her own issues, witnessing Regina in such a defeated state was simply intolerable. After losing Daniel, sacrificing her father to cast the Curse, losing her mother, and now losing Robin, the woman had gone through enough. And with everyone too busy with their own lives to help Regina pick up the pieces, she was – much like Ruby – left alone to sort through the shattered fragments of her life. It was all just so damn unfair.

 _Well, that just won't do_ , Ruby then thought to herself once more, determination settling in as she grabbed her pen and order pad and then made her way over to Regina's table. _Time to pay it forward, Lucas._

Once at the table, Ruby put on her biggest smile, and despite feeling of late like her whole life was devoid of meaning, she found that it was not at all forced. She actually wanted this. If only for a few minutes, she wanted to help make Regina feel better, and while it wasn't a grand gesture of world turning significance, showing an interest in the crestfallen mayor was something she could do to help while also giving her a noble if not humble purpose.

"Hey," she greeted, her smile still firmly in place. "What can I get you?"

As Regina stared out the window at the passersby going about their days, the way her face appeared nearly devoid of all emotion and her voice sounded equally dull made Ruby's insides lurch. She replied without even looking at Ruby. "Just a chocolate milkshake if you please, Miss Lucas."

"Of course," Ruby replied, scribbling down the simple order only because if she didn't Granny would complain about not having an order invoice to go along with the store copy of the receipt. In her old age, Granny was getting excessively pedantic with certain things.

After leaving Regina to her thoughts, Ruby went about making the milkshake, and as she did so with fluid and practiced so as to be nearly automatic movements, she tried to figure out how to cheer Regina up. Quite worryingly, by the time she was adding the whip cream and cherry to the top of the milkshade, she had made no progress whatsoever. After all, what could she say to a person who had lost as much as Regina had without sounding condescending or insincere?

Apologies, Ruby knew, would sound meaningless and in her experience sympathy was counterproductive. Regina didn't need to know she felt sorry for her, and the reason Ruby was so sure of that was because she was well acquainted with how it felt to lose someone and then to have everyone around her pawing at her and looking at her with such sad, pitying glances that she felt like she might go mad from angry frustration. Not quite knowing what to do or say, she decided to just take the milkshake to Regina and let fate decide the rest.

As she crossed around the counter to do just that, she noticed that Regina turn to watch her approach, her eyes never leaving Ruby's for a second. The simple action encouraged Ruby quite a bit, for even though the hurting woman's gaze was dull and glassy, it was the most interactive she had been since arriving.

Seeing an opportunity, when Ruby came to a stop at Regina's table, she gently set the shake down along with its complementary napkins and packaged straw. Raising her eyes to Regina's, she then blurted out with a boldness she had forgot she possessed, "Listen, I know we're not friends or anything, but I just wanted to say something."

At the unexpected statement, Regina tensed and her eyes hardened, indicating she clearly expected some offering of pity to follow that statement or even a cruel remark of how fitting her situation was, something perhaps along the lines that she had earned her current misery.

"Must you?" Regina asked, her voice reflecting what her body language had already told Ruby.

"I happen to think so. So yes, I must," Ruby answered, tilting her head, trying her best to look earnest without being pitying. Unwilling to give Regina time to object again, she pressed on. "I just wanted to say that I've missed seeing you in here. You haven't been around in a while."

Sitting back as if stunned, Regina gaped for a moment as she processed what had been said, or rather what had not been said. Ruby couldn't deny how pleased she was that she had surprised Regina by not expressing sympathy for her situation. It was an accomplishment to check off of her bucket list: number 15, check, surprise Regina Mills.

"Yes, well, I've been preoccupied," Regina informed her after recovering her composure, her eyes a little less hard though still wary. The implied reason for her absence from the diner hung heavily in the air, but then she went on to elaborate, "With all that's gone on the past few months, there is much to do at work."

While Ruby knew that was a half-truth at best, she couldn't temper her interest at the mention of Regina's job. Even from the days of the Curse, Regina being mayor was one of those things that always kind of turned her on, what with that irresistible mix of a constant confidence that was only rarely haughty and a hard-ass attitude that took no prisoners. It didn't hurt either that she was also a progressive woman in a position of authority that just so happened to possess matchless beauty and a razor sharp, excessively witty intellect. The combination was so uniquely alluring that Ruby just could not help herself. Whenever Regina made a speech, she hung on every word and whenever there was an article in paper about one of Regina's accomplishments, she would read it over and over and then gaze pathetically at the black and white photograph of the Mayor while fantasizing about what it would be like to the object of so great a woman's interest.

Back then Ruby had been (and still was to be honest) totally besotted. She could still remember how awed she felt whenever Regina would visit the diner, how her eyes were drawn magnetically to the imposing woman who so completely commanded her attention and how her heart never failed to flutter at a glimpse of that mythical beauty which had enthralled men and women of stoutest character, bending them beneath her iron will. Had Regina reached her before Snow, Ruby was fairly certain she would have been counted as preeminent among their number, and although the wolf was exceedingly prideful, Regina was a woman of such power that even she would have rolled over to show the Queen her belly.

As the Mayor, Regina wielded that same power was wielded just as effectively as she ran her town with a brutal efficiency that left no room for opposition or criticism. Not that there was much to criticize. During the Curse Regina had almost single-handedly directed the affairs of Storybrooke and with such expertise that there was little to complain about outside of the general misery of Curse-based human affairs, something even she had no control over. Under Regina's guidance, the town ran like a well-oiled piece of machinery, perfect and elegant and not a part out of place. Despite having been a truly loathsome person beforehand, as the Mayor of Storybrooke, Ruby thought she quite deserved every accolade she received, even if it was manufactured by the Curse.

Looking back now, Ruby was struck by how instinctively favorable her reactions to Regina were and that they were not caused by fear as had been directed by the prison of false personality that the denizens of Storybrooke languished under. Quite to the contrary she realized that she had been so inexplicably smitten with the woman that she could barely breathe while in her presence. Most of the time it was all she could do to restrain herself from pressing her nose into Regina's neck in order to smell her, which in addition to confusing Ruby as to why she felt compelled to do such a thing, surely would have landed her on her ass after a resounding slap from the intensely private Mayor. Perhaps Regina would have even had her tossed into jail. But it probably would have been worth it just to be close to her if only for a moment.

All in all, Regina Mills was the most impressive woman Ruby had ever met, so while she tried very hard to keep any hint of fascination out of her voice, she was pretty sure she failed spectacularly.

"Yeah?" she responded, her voice indicating her level of engagement. "I'd love to hear about it."

Her head still slightly tilted, Ruby shifted her weight from one leg to the other, and when she did her thighs rubbed together causing the denim of her jeans to make a distinctive brushing sound. The movement drew Regina's attention southward, where her eyes lingered for a moment too long on Ruby's legs before rising upward to glimpse the scant bit of cleavage she had allowed to peak through her button up blouse. And though Regina's dark eyes were all too soon snapping back up to her face, it was enough for Ruby's heightened senses to pick up on the slight dilation of her pupils, a nearly imperceptible flaring of her nostrils, and a slight increase in her heart rate that were all telltale marks of attraction.

Shocked by the development, Ruby could not contain the blush that heated her cheeks. It seemed impossible that Regina could actually share her interest, but her senses never lied.

Clearing her throat, Ruby hoped it was not glaringly obvious that she had very much enjoyed Regina's brief but apparent appreciation of her attributes along with her lack of objection to another such treatment of perusal should Regina be so inclined. It was a bit hypocritical considering how she felt when others did the same, but Regina was just different from everyone else. Why? Ruby could not quite ascertain as of yet, but it was what it was and for now there was really no explaining it.

"You would?" Regina then asked, taken a bit aback by Ruby's statement.

Ruby gnawed on the corner of her lip for a moment. "I've always liked that about you. You being mayor, I mean," she then elaborated, sure Regina could see the flush of her skin judging by the pique of interest in her eyes. Wanting to divert the sharply attentive woman, she decided to double down on her effort. "You have a drive and ambition that makes you damn good at it, at least in my opinion, and no matter what people thought of you personally, you've always cared. You put your heart and soul into this town, and that's why I voted for you."

At that, Regina actually smirked, and while it was small and tentative, it was still a minor victory that encouraged Ruby greatly. "Everyone voted for me, dear," she replied, her husky voice dropping an octave. "They were compelled to as part of the Curse."

"Yeah, but how many of those people would vote for you right now?" Ruby then posed, knowing Regina would not expect the admission. "'Cause I would in a heartbeat."

Eyes widening slightly, Regina stared for a few seconds before narrowing her eyes to search Ruby's face for any sign that she was being pandered to. When she evidently found none, she leaned forward to place her arms on the table.

"I have to confess that surprises me," she admitted.

Internally, Ruby cheered. Another one off her list: number 37, check, surprise Regina Mills so much that she is forced to admit it. Aloud, she replied, "I don't see why. Like I said, you're great at what you do, Regina, always have been. I wouldn't want anyone else as my mayor."

"Well, thank you for that, Miss Lucas," Regina replied, looking genuinely touched by the sentiment. Ruby gave herself a mental pat on the back. "I appreciate your kind words, though I doubt many share such an opinion."

Ruby shrugged, the corner of her lips crooking up. "Then to hell with them. It's the truth."

"So you say," Regina countered, though her eyes were twinkling just enough that Ruby could tell she was now invested in their conversation. The fact that she had actually managed to distract Regina from moping for even a second made Ruby feel like a million bucks. "As for why I was surprised," Regina continued, "I should think it was obvious. We were once enemies, after all. Or have you forgotten that inconvenient reality?"

"I've not forgotten the past at all," Ruby answered, turning sideways to lean her hip on the edge of the tabletop so that she could better give Regina her full attention. "But you've got one thing wrong there."

Regina quirked an eyebrow as she reached for her milkshake and straw. "Oh? What, pray tell, might that be?"

When Ruby opened her mouth to respond, Regina stopped her by holding up a primly manicured index finger and then indicated with it to the booth opposite of her. Though her gesture for Ruby to sit was confident, Ruby could see a nearly imperceptible nervousness in her eyes that bespoke her uneasiness with the situation. In that moment it was clear to Ruby that Regina was actually craving company as much as she was and was reluctant to show such a weakness.

"Before you say anything else," Regina then said, audibly repeating her offer with no indication of her internal struggle in her voice, "since no one else is here at the moment, would it be permissible for you to sit for a while?"

Pleased, Ruby grinned. "Sure! I'd love to."

She was not about to mention what she had picked up on because she knew it would scare Regina away. Since they both needed someone to talk to at the moment, Ruby decided to just take the offer and run with it, and as she slid into the booth she noticed that Regina visibly relaxed at not being called out on her uncharacteristic invitation.

Once settled, Ruby flung an arm across the back of the booth and then turned her focus back onto Regina, watching as the endlessly appealing woman unpacked her straw, slid it into her milkshake and then took a deep draw from it. Watching those luscious lips close over the plastic implement did things to Ruby's insides that were not appropriate for her to be feeling at work.

And then Regina closed her eyes and hummed out her approval at the taste of the chocolatey goodness on her tongue. The sound of her prolonged note of pleasure hit Ruby square in her chest, spreading warmth down her abdomen like a licking fire that held the very distinct possibility of turning into an inferno. When it settled low in her belly, it became so intense that she painfully clamped her bottom lip between her teeth and crossed her legs to tamp down on the jolt of arousal that was rapidly causing her to flush yet again.

At the shifting of her position, Regina's eyes snapped open. When they caught how affected Ruby was by her little show, she nipped at her own lip in such a slight way that Ruby almost missed it. But seeing that her senses were on high alert at the moment and that she was hyper aware of everything Regina did, she didn't miss it, and it was so damn adorable that she almost sighed aloud.

Cheeks rosy with heat, Regina brushed a stray lock of hair her behind her ear and then prompted, "So, you were about to point out the inaccuracy in my statement. I'd love to hear it."

Allowing a lazy smile to cross her lips, Ruby took a deep breath. Feeling more composed, she replied, "You said we were enemies."

Both of Regina's ebony brows rose at that. "And that is somehow false? I can't imagine how. Tell me, dear, were you or were you not Snow White's most loyal ally? And were you not also personally responsible for the deaths of scores of my best knights?"

"Sure I was," Ruby replied easily, "but that doesn't mean I was your enemy."

"Doesn't it though?" Regina leaned forward once more, eyes alight with intrigue at Ruby's reasoning. "You stood with Snow, dear, and I don't have to tell you that made you an adversary by association. Argue semantics all you like, but that means we were, in fact, enemies."

"I'm not arguing semantics," Ruby explained, the corner of her lips quirking up. "I'm saying that I never considered you _my_ enemy. Did I fight against you, yes, but only because you considered me _your_ enemy."

"Oh, I see," Regina frowned, her eyes flashing momentarily in annoyance before settling into a cool regard. "As always, the fault is mine."

"Not what I'm saying at all," Ruby protested, subconsciously shifting forward to echo Regina's pose. "Just...you have your way of seeing things and I have mine. For my part, I never hated you. I fought for Snow, not against you. There's a big difference."

Regina smirked more fully at Ruby's slightly nervous clarification. "Sounds like semantics to me, Miss Lucas."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ruby relaxed once more, finding that she was enjoying herself in spite of her having nearly put her foot in her mouth. "It's Ruby by the way," she smiled, "Miss Lucas makes me sound like a stuffy old school teacher." When Regina's eyebrows rose and she grinned, Ruby understood the implication. Her oldest friend, Snow, just so happened to be a teacher. Ruby's eyes widened. "Not that there's anything wrong with that mind you!"

"Of course not, _Miss Lucas_ ," Regina replied, still grinning.

Narrowing her eyes at the needling, Ruby harrumphed. "Are you trying to insinuate that I missed my calling and that I should be a teacher or something?"

After taking another slow draw of her milkshake, Regina licked her lips suggestively, her brown eyes darkening as she gave a glance at Ruby's cleavage. Meeting Ruby's eyes, yet another of her famous smirks settled across her features.

"Heaven forbid," she then declared. "I think your wardrobe would offend the standards of our school system." At that, she sat back, her gaze once again sweeping down the portion Ruby's torso exposed above the table before returning northward.

Mouth hanging open, Ruby made a noise of offense. "Gee, thanks," she then said after a moment. "Nice to know you think I'm too trashy for a respectable job. Guess it's a good thing I'm a waitress then, huh? At least here my boobs and ass can get me tips."

"And for good reason," Regina purred, "since both are _fantastic_. But I was only jesting, dear, not suggesting anything derrogatory. In fact, I rather think the schoolteacher look would be becoming on you."

Ruby sat up, her momentary affront forgotten. She felt herself flushing for the third time and squeezed her thighs together at the onslaught of images that comment elicited.

"You do, do you?" she asked, unable to help the flaring of her nostrils. "That a thing for you?" As she spoke, she caught and held Regina's eyes, all too aware that the perceptive older woman could see that her pupils were blown and sparking with exhilaration. "Would it get you all hot and bothered if I were to show up one day in a black pencil skirt, stilettos, and a half unbuttoned blouse with my hair loose in tumbling curls and a pair of black rimmed glasses on my nose?"

Gulping, Regina sat back, telegraphing by her reaction that it would very much bother her in that way, which she confirmed by answering, "Yes, _Miss Lucas_ , I do believe it would." But then, as if catching on to the fact that she was actually flirting rather heavily, she shook her head ever-so-slightly and furrowed her brow. Ruby then watched as guilt settled over her features, and with it her shoulders sagged as the weight of her memories of Robin Hood once more descended upon her.

 _Damn the man_ , Ruby thought, both for hurting Regina and cutting the flirting short via his looming specter.

Still, Ruby had to admit it was for the best that things got derailed since her aggressive reaction to the teasing might have driven Regina away. As wounded as the woman was by her recent loss she was far from ready for anything even remotely sexual at the moment, so Ruby knew she had gone too far with her forward banter. She really hadn't meant to come on so strong, but she'd totally lost control of herself in the moment, having been carried away by thoughts of fulfilling a fantasy that Regina obviously desired to experience, even if it was one she hadn't even known she wanted until that very moment – and nor had Ruby, for that matter.

Roleplaying in the bedroom was never one of her proclivities, but in those scant few seconds she was speaking of dressing the part of the naughty teacher, pictures kept popping up in her head of Regina seated before her in a plaid miniskirt with her bare legs primly crossed, white button-up blouse tantalizingly tight and left open to her cleavage, and a cute little red tie hanging loose from around her collar. With silver barrettes holding her bangs back, she began batting her long lashes, her brown eyes burning with invitation as Ruby approached, ruler in hand and a scowl on her face, ready to punish her unruly student.

 _Jesus_ , Ruby breathed to herself, a secret and very inappropriate thrill running up her spine as she caught Regina peering at her through half-hooded lids. By the way she still appeared caught between guilt and surprising reception to Ruby's suggestive hypothetical, it was clear that she was battling to stave off her own amorous imaginings. Knowing that they might be concocting similar scenes at the same time was enough to strain Ruby's arousal to the point that she was tempted to scurry away someplace private where she could relieve herself of it.

But like the good friend she wanted to be, she restrained those impulsive and sinful thoughts. For many reasons beyond the obvious she felt it wrong to be so turned by the fantasy scenario, not the least of which was the fact that to her knowledge, Regina was not interested in women. As far as Ruby was aware, the former Queen had taken only men as lovers, but that was not to say she wasn't attracted to women at all if the way she had been looking at Ruby was any indication. At least on the surface Regina seemed somewhat pliable with her sexuality.

Of course, Ruby had not really been interested in women either until living under the Curse, during which she had a few brief affairs with fellow members of the fairer sex. After awakening to herself as Red, she had been initially embarrassed by what she had done, but the more she considered things, the more she realized that she was open to the idea of being in a relationship with a woman just the same as she was to any man she was attracted to. For that awakening she supposed she owed Regina at least a healthy measure of gratitude, and then many more for the wonderful world she'd cursed them to.

For the most part Ruby loved this new and very different world, but one thing she found had not changed at all between her two homes was the way people liked to label one another. For such a seemingly natural practice for human beings, Ruby was remarkably uncomfortably with the idea of being categorized. She had not always felt that way, but the way in which she was enlightened to being a werewolf had done a number on her identity, and as a result, she struggled for a long time to figure out who she was.

Having her entire life uprooted along with the combination of not knowing where she fit in among the rest of the humanity or where she belonged in the world made for a very stressful period of transition in her life. Meeting her mother and learning from her and her pack had helped, but Ruby still came away from that experience a girl torn between two worlds, that of a human and that of a wolf.

Anita had appealed very much to the wolf, preaching that werewolves had no place among humans and that as superior beings, they had every right to take for themselves whatever they wanted. It was a system of belief that Ruby vehemently opposed and which lead to the disagreement that cost her mother's life.

After that, she did a lot of soul searching in an attempt to harmonize her dichotomous halves. It was not an easy process to learn how to be comfortable in her own skin when she wasn't even sure which skin was really her. Was she a werewolf or a human being? The struggle to reconcile them was so harrowing that she left Snow's side for a few days, secluding herself in the forest to think things through. As she did, she tried her best make a decision as to how to move forward by weighing the value of each aspect.

Where the wolf was concerned, Anita had introduced her to a brand new world that was full of power and freedom and so much joy that she felt like she was fit to burst at times. The desires of the wolf were enormous and piercing and seductive, and for just a moment, she considered taking a permanent leave from Snow to reunite with her mother's pack wherever they had gone and to live out the rest of her days as a werewolf.

But then she remembered the cost at which the wolf's urges came, that they smothered a part of herself that she did not wish to lose, the part of her that was a young woman with hopes and dreams and connections with people she loved too much to leave behind forever. Granny had raised her to be human, taught her human values, instilled in her an appreciation of human life, and it was as a human that she had learned how to love. The wolf did not love – could not love – for it was pure instinct, raw animal feeling, and could therefore recognize no value in such a pointless emotion. Love muddied the waters of carefree existence. But to Ruby the emotion was not pointless at all. Rather, after everything that had happened to her it was love for Granny, Snow, and the bittersweet memories of her love for Peter that became her reason for carrying on.

In the end, conflicted to the point that she was unable to choose which world she wanted to live in, she returned to Snow, content to figure it out as they went along their way. Months passed after that before she finally gained a sense of perspective about who she was, which allowed her to finally come to the conclusion that she was neither a wolf or a human, and that such distinctions had lost enough meaning for her that she could just be herself and feel okay about that. And the more she adjusted to accepting herself for who she was, the less she cared about trivial things such as social status, race, species, creed, or political affiliation.

Just as with being a werewolf or a human being, those kinds of labels could never truly define her worth as a person, nor could they teach her how to be at peace with herself in a way that made happiness an actual possibility. As such, she decided to cast them away entirely as irrelevant and to rather value both herself and life in general as they were, not as she wanted them to be, an attitude which apparently translated over to her sexuality.

With her present point of view being influenced by her past, Ruby did not really understand the appeal of stamping a definition on her forehead that would declare to all who cared to listen as to exactly who she was, what she believed in, and who she was attracted to. Back in the Enchanted Forest, most saw her only as a werewolf, and in Storybrooke, she was the slutty waitress who wore far too little clothing for such a frigid climate as Maine. But the truth was, she was just Ruby, and for her, all that mattered was what lived in her heart. While she would never disparage those who drew comfort from being classified as belonging to a certain subset of people, as far as she was concerned, such a practice was not for her. She was who she was and loved who she loved and that was that.

But where Regina was concerned, Ruby did not have enough information to warrant pressing further, nor would she even if she knew for a fact Regina was interested. She respected the woman far too much to risk the nascent friendship they were developing by pushing her before she was ready. Whether or not Regina ever got to that point was wholly up to her, yet even so, Ruby had to admit to being investing in that potential decision to a degree that scared the living hell out of her.

"Anyway," she then said after clearing her throat and shaking away her thoughts, "as I was going to say, just because me saying you were never my enemy sounds like semantics to you doesn't mean it's the same for me. 'Cause from where I'm sitting, it's just plain logic."

Nodding in silent appreciation for the change of topic, Regina's conflict evaporated for the most part and she resettled into the easy atmosphere that they had established earlier. "Well, then... _Ruby_ ," she drawled out, causing Ruby to shudder at the way her name sounded spilling from Regina's lips and in a tone that was so earthen and comfortable that it felt like home. "If that is what you consider a logical line of thought, I believe that would make you, as Henry would say, a weirdo."

Unable to help herself, Ruby pitched forward in laughter at the unexpectedly delightful quip, and soon after, Regina quite surprisingly joined in. For a good minute, they exchanged peals of laughter until tears were streaming down both of their faces. And after recovering from their mirth, they settled back into a discussion about some of the projects Regina had in the making for the town. Before long, fifteen minutes had passed, then thirty, and in the end nearly an hour passed as they sat in the back corner booth of a blessedly empty diner, talking about everything and anything that came to mind.

And as the minutes ticked by and neither woman lost interest in their conversation, Ruby began to realize that something was happening that she could not explain. It was as if a force beyond her control almost magical in nature was binding her to Regina, forging invisible tendrils between them that would link them together in ways she could not anticipate. Lost in the feeling of camaraderie with the woman across from her, Ruby began to feel the rumblings of the wolf from the deep recesses of her mind, her feral influence flaring up unbidden as if in approval of someone for whom she had respect and considered to be an equal.

Regina, Ruby realized, was the only person who could understand the dark impulses and savage desires she often experienced while at the same time fully sharing her wild, untamable thirst for life and freedom. Being intimately aware of what it felt like to be reduced to pure instinct, to exult in the shed blood of her enemies and surrender herself to the animalistic hunger to rend every possible pleasure from the bared throat of existence, the part of Regina that had been the Evil Queen was uniquely suited to the wolf. And yet as Regina Mills there was a vulnerability that Ruby the human girl identified with. Both had experienced the heights of true love only to be plunged into darkness when they lost it, and there were few others who could say they had walked through the same tragic circumstances. And while loss bonded them, hope did as well, for despite having every reason to, neither had lost their desire to find love again.

To her dismay, Ruby then realized that in Regina she had discovered her perfect counterpart, and because of that, if any kind of friendship formed between them, it was almost a foregone conclusion that she would fall in love. In fact, it was probably already too late to stop it from happening, and although whatever was forming between them would almost certainly lead to heartbreak for one or both, Ruby could not bring herself to care. Whatever Regina was willing to give she was more than willing to take, and any pain that proceeded from that decision was pain she was prepared to bear.

It was only after the clock struck 3:30 in the afternoon that Regina finally took her leave, but before departing, she expressed in a halting and almost bashful way her intent to return the next afternoon if Ruby was amenable to the company. Feeling closer than ever to Regina and hopeful despite the probability of her heart being broken, Ruby agreed. When she went on to promise she would align her break so that it coincided with Regina's visit, the raven haired beauty gave her a demure smile worthy of Mary Margaret (though Ruby didn't mention that) and then made to exit the diner.

As she watched Regina walk out the door more uplifted than when she had come in, Ruby brought her hand up to her chest and took a deep, shuddering breath. Her mind was whirling as she tried to reconcile the intense feelings she was having with the reality that it should not be possible to develop such a strong connection in so short a time.

People always talked about love at first sight, about fate and destiny, but Ruby had always been dubious of such concepts, figuring them to be farcical. In her estimation, the human heart was not capable of forming meaningful connections to another person without prolonged exposure over time, and even if there was such a thing as a universal consciousness, it would not care about so relatively trivial a matter as an affair of the human heart. And yet evidence to the contrary was beating withing her chest, pounding a rhythmic declaration of the emotional bonds she had already formed with Regina.

"Oh, God," Ruby breathed into the empty diner, still clutching at her chest. The gravity of the situation was now becoming clear to her, and she was conflicted by the warring emotions of hope and fear. "What am I going to do?"

While she didn't know the answer to that question and in spite of how anxious it made her feel, she couldn't help but look forward to figuring it out. Little did she know that fate _was_ real and that it would lead her down a road that would reward her in ways that would fulfill her wildest dreams and test her in others that would leave her riddled with dark nightmares which would haunt her for the rest of her days. For you see, destiny like magic comes with a price, and for Ruby, it was one that she would never forget paying.


	2. A Late Girlfriend

**Notes:** I decided not to wait for a beta. I've self-edited everything else I've written, why not this? YOLO! =D Anyway, hope y'all enjoy. Next one will land sometime this week for sure. Let me know what you think.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Also, please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately so I can correct them; you will be doing me a great service!

 **Chapter 1** – A Late Girlfriend...

3 Years Later

It was almost 2 pm on a crisp Friday afternoon in Storybrooke, Maine, and even though it was sunny and clear outdoors, it was also quite cold. Being in New England, such weather was all too typical of late autumn, but unfortunately for Regina Mills, it was a bit too perfectly aligned with her current temperament to be to her liking. All alone in the living room of her home, perched and waiting upon the edge of her plush leather couch, she had been reduced to waiting for Ruby to come home, and the more she waited, the more her mood chilled.

Between nervous tics of picking at the blue oxford button-up she had worn to work that day, she glanced between her watch and the expensively draped window that overlooked the front of her home. Each time she repeated the gesture, she hoped to catch a glimpse of a red Camaro pulling into the driveway that would indicate her long time partner was finally home. It was a bit strange for her to think that the sight of that blasted car had become a welcome one considering that she had once hated Ruby's beloved 'baby', professing it to be little better of a vehicular monstrosity than Emma Swan's hideous yellow Beetle. But over the years she had actually come to anticipate the sight of the Camaro rather than to loathe it.

When they first started dating, Regina often complained about the offensively inefficient car, reasoning that since she was admittedly partial to her exquisitely manufactured BMW, she could never understand Ruby's love of such an inelegant and cheaply made example of mass production. The times she tended to be most vocal in her disapproval of Ruby's vehicle were the semi-rare indulgences she allowed (which normally involved much sweet talking from Ruby) in which they took the Camaro to go on a date or to a social function or some other such mundane task. It didn't happen regularly but when it did, Regina always got a startling reminder of the audacious side her significant other sometimes liked to let out.

As it just so happened, Ruby was a speed demon who took every opportunity to extoll the virtues of the 5.7 liter V8 under the hood of her car. Along with commenting on her love for what she referred to as "the sexy purr of pure American engineering", she also enjoyed showing said engine off to an excessively inappropriate and exceedingly dangerous degree. More than once Regina had been reduced to gripping the arm rest and center console while gritting her teeth and cursing as Ruby sped through town hooping and hollering with a devilish glint in her eyes. Aside from the fact that she loved Ruby, Regina really couldn't adequately explain why she kept getting in the damned thing knowing what was going to happen, but like a true masochist, she subjected herself over and over again to her perpetually youthful girlfriend's exuberant and borderline reckless – albeit admittedly impressive – driving skills.

Over time, though, she had developed a thick enough skin to at least marginally relax when Ruby was behind the wheel, and once she did, she actually grew to enjoy an occasional drive together, particularly when Ruby was feeling casual and relaxed. While Regina sometimes had to question the wisdom of enabling Ruby whenever her lead foot got a little extra heavy, just a glimpse of one of Ruby's infectious grins would remind her of why she did so in the first place. Anything that made the woman she loved so happy was worth a temporary sacrifice of her own comfort, and besides, it was not as if she did not have a little fun of her own. Sometimes even Regina felt the need for some excitement.

Every now and then, when feeling bold and daring, she would emulate Ruby by gunning the engine of her Mercedes at the intersection near the diner in order to spin the tires, knowing how much Granny hated that. The uncharacteristic shows of immaturity always made Ruby howl with delight, and as for Ruby's grandmother, well, upon her next visit to the diner, Granny would jokingly scold her, saying in that famously dry manner that Ruby was a bad influence. Mostly, Regina just shrugged Granny's quip off with a twinkle in her eye, telling the elder Lucas that there were far worse influences in the world than Ruby Lucas.

Once, however, she had admitted in confidence to Granny that such displays of her own wild side made her feel like she was young and carefree again, a sentiment Granny as a werewolf far past her prime well understood.

And yet, no matter how exciting it was to 'let her hair down' for a moment or two, the rush of adrenaline such acts produced could never rival the feeling she got when the Camaro pulled into the driveway. It was hard to accurately describe the domestic sense of happiness that came to be associated with seeing that flash of red paint through the window which meant Ruby was home. After all, how could words express something that even she could not quite completely understand?

All Regina knew was that the awesome gravity that along came with those feelings regularly caught her off-guard, and whenever that happened, she would just sit back and revel in endless appreciation for being granted the experience. Such moments served as a stark emphasis as to how very blessed she was. Having spent so many years fruitlessly searching for her happy ending, she had finally found it, and to beat it all, it just so happened to come home every day wrapped up in an all-American muscle car package. Fate could certainly be strange, yet at the same time it could also be wonderful beyond all comprehension.

But today there was no sign of Ruby's beloved Camaro even though she was supposed to have been home from work two hours ago, and when also considering that Regina had heard neither hide nor hair from Ruby all day – which was unusual to say the least – she began to grow concerned and more than a little bit frustrated. Her frustration was mainly due to Ruby's ridiculous work load of late. Regina still didn't understand why Ruby had unnecessarily and completely by choice taken a second job. There was simply no rational reason for it. Money was not an issue for them, never had been, but Ruby had insisted she required the extra income for some mysterious reason, and though Regina had disapproved, the earnest appeals from Ruby for trust and patience were so effective that she acted against every instinct to refuse.

It was almost 2 months ago to the day since Ruby had started her second job as a Deputy with the Storybrooke Sheriff's Department, and since that day, Regina had seen frustratingly little of her. For in addition to Ruby's regular workload at her grandmother's diner, she was also working shifts at the Station during weekdays, sometimes accruing up to 18 hours worth of labor each day. So besides the obvious toll that working so much was taking on Ruby personally, her absence was beginning to strain things at home in ways they never had been before.

The distance and tension that had built up between them was becoming unbearable, and from Regina's perspective it was growing evermore critical to repair the cracks that were forming within their relationship lest something irreparably break. Hating the situation as it stood, she decided to take action by scheduling today for a half day so she could be home when Ruby arrived. The hope was that some quality time together might be just the balm they needed to get back on track as a couple, and with how overworked and tired Ruby had been lately, she figured the surprise would be a welcome one.

Needing to restore her girlfriend to some semblance of her typically perky self, Regina had not only planned to spend quality time together, but fully intended on pampering Ruby, even going so far as to procure the supplies with which to give her partner a relaxing oil massage. As a person not accustomed to serving others, such selfless acts did not come easily to Regina, yet she was more than willing to humble herself if it would help to bridge the frighteningly wide gap that had so suddenly sprung into existence between her and the woman she loved. But with Ruby so glaringly missing at the moment, it seemed as if those plans were all blown to hell.

Sighing, Regina pinched the bridge of her nose in a vain attempt to relieve the stress headache that had plagued her since she left the house early that morning. For some strange reason, she had been nagged all day long by an uncomfortable feeling she just couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried. As she trudged through her half day schedule at work, she had struggled to brush it off along with the pressure building behind her eyes that made her brain feel like it might pop at any second, but unfortunately, nothing she tried helped. And as the minutes wore interminably on, she found herself being besieged by both a pounding migraine and an irrational, itching desire to check on Ruby.

Although the headache had persisted, she managed to refrain from calling the Sheriff's station like an over-worried mother hen, though only by considering the enormous amount of stress Ruby was currently under. She hadn't wanted to add to that stress by being overbearing, yet no matter how much control she was able to exert over her impulses, she was never quite able to rid herself of that uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. To her dismay, it persisted throughout the day until finally distracting her beyond the ability to accomplish much of anything in the way of meaningful work.

With that feeling gnawing at her like a corrosive acid, time seemed to drag on at a snail's pace, making it feel like she was at the office for much longer than the four hours she actually was. Mercifully, noon eventually rolled around and when it did, she wasted no time in packing up her things to head home. Without bothering to even tidy up her desk, she rushed out of the office, certain she startled everyone else in the building with such atypical behavior, and did not give anything else a second thought as she made her way to her car.

The drive home was accomplished with her typical expeditiousness, and upon opening the front door, Regina was met by the sounds of an empty house. The quietness was so disturbingly eerie and wholly unwelcome that it suddenly struck her that her house had not been so quiet since before Ruby moved in.

Being a vivacious person, Ruby loved to sing and dance and talk up a storm to anyone who would listen, and though her girlfriend's boisterous nature had initially disconcerted Regina, she had long since grown to appreciate it. Ruby made her house feel like a home in a way it hadn't since Henry was very little, and thus it was to her very odd disappointment that there was only the sound of silence to greet her when she arrived. The almost deafening nature of it set her even more on edge than she already was.

After venturing to her home office, Regina plopped down with a heavy sigh into the chair at her desk and then set about attempting to distracting herself for a while as she waited. Picking up a nearby file, she read over a project proposal the town council was considering funding in the near future that included further development along the fringes of town to accommodate Storybrooke's growing population. But every time she got halfway interested in the information that pesky feeling of apprehension she'd dealt with all day would return.

Whenever this happened, she would compulsively go through a routine of picking up her cell phone, hovering her thumb indecisively over Ruby's name, and then finally tossing it away onto the desk in disgust. She knew she was being silly worrying over nothing, yet didn't seem to be able to stop herself, which only furthered her irritation. Regina did not want to regress into old habits.

By that point, the woman she once was would have fallen headlong into the distasteful stereotype of the overbearing partner: the kind who felt compelled to intrude if anything was even remotely askew with her lover. But she was not that person anymore. In the years since the curse broke, she had broken free of that identity, had shed the skin of the distrustful and suspicious Queen who gleefully terrorized the Enchant Forest. Now Regina was a much more simple woman with much more simple sources of fulfillment, primarily through being a mother to a brilliant and strong young man, a friend to people who against all odds believed in her, as good a mayor as she could be, and most recently, a partner to the most amazing person she had ever known.

Although she had changed significantly in the decades since casting the Curse, Regina was under no illusions as to who she was. After all, it was a rather pointless endeavor to deny reality, for no matter how much she had improved as a person, deep down she was still much the same: deeply flawed, proud to a fault, and an admitted control freak whose battle against that obsessive need for dominance over her life – up to and including the people she loved—was an incessant one.

Henry's adoption had been the initial impetus for learning to overcome some of those compulsions, most predominately her domineering nature. Becoming a parent had required her to accept that there were things beyond her ability to control or manipulate, and although it made her uncomfortable to practice humility and patience, she loved her son more than her own pride, so she had forced herself to adapt to her new situation. And while she had maintained more than a few character defects through the years she raised Henry, she had at least been putting forth an honest effort.

The only problem was that no one was aware enough to appreciate the strides she was making in her life because everyone was cursed. And then to make matters worse, once the Curse was broken she learned the hard way that for most, no matter how much she changed, it would never be enough, and unfortunately it was a general attitude which persisted even into the present. While she certainly had many supporters currently in her corner, she also knew that there were others who were simply biding their time until her inevitable fall from grace.

Try as she might, on bad days when Regina was feeling vulnerable, she would stew on the rampant mistrust that persisted among the populace. When considering that most of the town she had risked her life for on multiple occasions would never accept or forgive her despite the great lengths she had gone to in order to redeem herself, she often felt bitter and resentful to that point that she often wondered why she even bothered at all. Were it not for Henry in those early days post-Curse, she surely would have given up, would have surrendered to her dark impulses to damn them all to hell with a rain of fire, but her need to prove herself to her son was too strong to deny, and as Henry slowly came around to believing in her once more, it got more and more easy to ignore the distrustful way people would look at her.

However, there was a time in which she came frightfully close to falling, and that was after Robin found out about Marian. When Zelena had come back from the past with Emma Swan, Regina's spiteful sister proceeded to not only confess to murdering the Marian of that timeline but also purposefully let it slip that Marian had been executed in the current timeline on Regina's orders. It was a reality that Robin could not cope with. When she watched her lover walk across the town line with Roland to leave Storybrooke (and her) behind for good, she had felt like a porcelain doll floating through the air, awaiting an inevitable impact with the ground that would shatter her into a thousand irretrievable pieces.

The days after that were some of the lowest of her life. Having lost her True Love already, the second loss – this time of her supposed soul mate – left Regina reeling and desperate for anything to numb the pain. In her sorrow, the darkness began calling out to her, offering its seductive comfort and power as a means of assuaging her grief. The potency of its sway nearly caused her to backslide more than once during the worst of those dark days, but somehow her restraint managed to persist if only by a tether of frayed and fragile cord.

During that trying time it was particularly difficult to fight off the feelings of hopelessness whenever she remembered things about Robin that she loved the most, such as his smile, the way he smelled of fresh pine needles, the prickling of his beard against her face when they kissed, or the rough texture of his hand in hers. It was only by sheer force of will and a desire to not disappoint Henry that she had been able to make it through that dreadful test of her redemption without slipping, and in doing so, wrecking all that she had labored so diligently to build.

It took time, but thanks to her unwavering support system (namely Henry and Ruby, who became her friend shortly after Robin's departure) she eventually emerged from that period of darkness like a butterfly from chrysalis. Free from all of that gloominess and depression she had been so mired in, she felt an enormous sense of release, and after that she stopped caring whether or not others accepted her change because Henry and Ruby believed in her, and most importantly, at long last she had learned to believe in herself.

That belief was tested about a month later when she overheard Little John talking to Robin on the phone and learned that Robin was seeing someone in New York. Hearing that news struck a blow to her heart which was disconcerting enough that she was illuminated to a subconscious sliver of hope she had been clinging to that Robin might somehow come back to her. The phone call had forever dashed that hope. Yet, even though it made her want to launch a fireball at the nearest appealing victim she could find, she did not give in to temptation. Instead, she scrambled home and locked herself in her room where she wept until she was spent, finally allowing herself to mourn for the life with Robin that she might have had if only circumstances different or if she had made different choices in the past.

After a few hours of cathartic crying, she came out of her room to find Henry worriedly waiting, sitting cross-legged on the floor in the hallway. Sinking down beside him, she told him about what had happened. Regina would never forget how good it felt to unburden herself under Henry's gentle concern. Her son was so considerate and thoughtful and made such a good sounding board that she found herself feeling better by the minute, and by the time the next day rolled around, she once again felt like a woman capable of standing under her own strength.

Things went back to what passed for normal in Storybrooke after that, and so life sailed along smoothly for a brief time, at least until she started dating Ruby. During those early weeks and months of their courtship, Regina had been forced to relearn some of her hard bought lessons all over again. Somehow she had failed to anticipate how much of a threat Ruby would pose to her newly gained stability, for in a completely unexpected turn of events, she fell so hard and so fast that she was thrown almost totally off-kilter, losing her precious sense of balance for a brief moment in time.

In the 28 years since the curse was cast, Regina had not once entertained a scenario in which she could develop genuinely romantic feelings for Ruby Lucas, particularly when considering what a provocative person the young woman could be. That was not to say that she hadn't always been somewhat attracted to Storybrooke's most famous flirt, because she was, though she justified that attraction by reassuring herself that a person would have to be blind to not desire such an exemplary specimen of human beauty. Such justifications allowed her to remain blissful in her ignorance, and as such she was able to write off any attraction to Ruby as meaningless.

Knowing what she did now, if she had been capable of honesty with herself at the time, she would have been forced to acknowledge that she had been drawn to the girl from the very moment they met in the Enchanted Forest, and that coming to a new world had done little to change that. Those two truths, however, were incompatible to the reality she was building for herself under the Curse, and thus she buried those pesky proclivities under mountains of ice cold armor. For the most part, she passed the years without incident, but thinking back now, Regina could remember having slipped for just a moment the very first time she saw Ruby in Storybrooke.

It had been her first day in this new world and she was so giddy with victory that she had strutted through town like a preening peacock with an obnoxiously satisfied smile plastered across her face. As she had passed the diner, she came across Ruby and Granny arguing outside. Since she had been lenient towards Red in the Curse out of grudging respect, she had expected the girl to remain largely the same as Regina had known her to be. Instead, she was met by the sight of the werewolf in her now-(in)famous waitress uniform, replete with ridiculously high stilettos and a pair of inappropriately tiny red shorts that left her remarkable legs on full display. Seeing Red like that had admittedly stirred up a reaction in Regina, though she expertly hid it behind a wicked smirk.

Still, even had she been incapable of compartmentalizing the attraction she felt, in those days she had all but given up on ever attaining love romantically. Had she not, there would have been no need for the Curse in the first place, for in order to effectively cast it, she had to banish all thoughts of love from her mind, which wasn't hard considering how consumed she was by the unquenchable thirst for vengeance that had so long driven her actions. Besides all of that, she was once a Queen and Red had been of a far lower station, and as such, she had thought it unlikely they would have anything in common with which to build a relationship beyond slaking carnal thirst. And though indulging in those forbidden fruits would eventually prove enjoyable beyond compare, at the time the not-so-insignificant fact that Red was also Snow White's best friend and most loyal supporter was ample deterrent to stay any untoward thoughts of the young werewolf from popping up again.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, Red had been responsible for killing scores of Regina's very best soldiers in defense of Snow, her mortal enemy, and had saved said woman's life on many occasions by thwarting painstakingly crafted plans. Anyone who aided the outlaw princess back then was counted by Regina as a traitor worthy of death, but Red's impudence in destroying some of her best men made her an even bigger target of the Queen's wrath.

Yet even so, for a split second as Regina had walked past the diner that day, she glanced back with unbidden intrigue. Treated as she was by an eyeful of enticingly pale flesh and a flawless figure worthy of being thoroughly appreciated, she had been unable to suppress the reflexive considerations of how delightfully fun it would be to have Red wrapped around her for a night or two or ten. But the moment passed as quickly as it came, so she continued on to bask in her ostensible victory.

Shelving all thoughts of Ruby Lucas, she proceeded to establish her daily routine about town, ruling Storybrooke from her cushioned throne in the Mayor's office and going for walks about town to observe with glee as her former subjects milled about her mired in misery and completely ignorant of all that had happened to them. The ritualistic enjoyment she derived from the Curse quickly became a singular delight for Regina that occupied her attention for quite some time.

Years passed during which she reveled in her superior position of knowledge and power over the people she hated with every fiber of her being, but eventually as with all things, she grew bored and lonely and realized that perhaps her ultimate victory was more hollow than she had imagined it would be. The thrill of receiving tentative looks of fear and awe as she passed by began to loose its luster as she walked around town searching for anything to fill her time and sate her increasing boredom.

It wasn't long terribly long afterward that the whole Kurt and Owen Flynn debacle happened, and for the briefest of moments after that, she considered approaching Ruby to dull the sting from that particular affair, even if just to draw a temporary sense of comfort. But then she remembered that she was supposed to hate the girl who had once so openly stood in opposition to her goals. In order to distract her from Owen's rejection and her equally dangerous thoughts about Ruby, she turned to Graham.

Being with the huntsman was an old habit that was easy to fall into, for theirs was a relationship through which Regina could reassert control over her life. That the relationship, however unhealthy it was, made her feel better about herself also made it easy to justify what she was doing to him. Taking advantage of the foolish huntsman might have made her feel guilty had he not defied her in such a way or if she'd possessed a heart capable of feeling remorse, but he had and she didn't, so without an ounce of contrition that he would be unable to resist her advances, she seduced him back into her bed. And just like that, Ruby simply passed from her thoughts once again, just as she had so many years ago, and not once in the decades that followed did Regina allow such weakness to enter her heart again.

That all began to change when Robin ended their relationship for good. That day she found herself wandering through town only to end up in the diner, she had hardly even been aware of why she headed there in the first place. Confused by her own actions, she slunk through the front doors and then made her way to the back where she sat by herself in a secluded booth to mope.

But she had not been permitted to dwell on her own misery for long, for with a boldness that befitted the person Regina had once heard Red to be, Ruby approached and asked to sit. Tired from lack of sleep and oppressively lonely, Regina agreed and before long they were talking like old friends. The conversation was so natural and engaging that she came back the next day at the same time, and once again Ruby sat across from her to keep her company. On that second day they didn't speak many words, but they hadn't needed to. Somehow without being told Ruby instinctively understood that she had needed silence as well as the company and obliged without requiring any explanation.

While Regina hadn't been looking for a friend when she came to the diner that first day, she gained one nonetheless. In Ruby, she found someone loyal and dependable that she felt safe enough with to actually trust. Every day after that she came to the diner for a milkshake, and every day Ruby was there for her, whether to offer a comforting presence or to lift her spirits with a smile and a funny story about herself or Granny. Eventually, those lunch conversations lead to invitations for dinner, and as they grew ever closer, Regina discovered that they had much more in common than she would have guessed.

Ruby, as it turned out, had a dark and painful past nearly as tragic as her own, yet as terrible as it had been she still found a way to be hopeful and positive, which was both an annoyance and an inspiration for Regina. Added to that, Ruby was so patient and understanding that she quickly established herself as a second anchor in Regina's storm of heartbreak, which allowed her to develop a reliance on the younger woman for more than just companionship without fearing she would up and disappear like everyone else did. That she was able to unreservedly trust Ruby made their friendship effortless, and so it quickly flourished into something beautiful and precious, a positive camaraderie that Regina had never experienced before with another woman.

Of course, there was always a fear in the back of her mind that she would ruin it all, whether by her own actions or by consequence of what others thought of her past. Surprisingly, though, most of the townsfolk seemed to accept her friendship with Ruby, if only for the fact that it kept her from having a meltdown.

Still, Regina understood how it looked to those who doubted whether or not her redemption was genuine. Though painful to admit, they had every reason to be skeptical since she was the very person who had cursed them to another world without their permission in order to take away all happy endings. And while that was true, there was also the fact that Ruby was a heroic young woman who had risked her life on a daily basis for Snow White – the woman most of Storybrooke still considered their rightful monarch. Considering that, Regina ingratiating herself to yet another another heroic figure was unacceptable, and those who felt that way were the type of people who tended to stare suspiciously whenever she spent time with Ruby in public. There were also a few particularly unpleasant miscreants among them who started rumors around town that eventually got back to her.

"Intelligence wins wars," her mother had taught her long ago, "and not just the kind in your mind, but the kind that knows the minds of others." Perhaps more than anything else Cora had taught her, that lesson stuck with Regina over the years. It was why she invested so much time and effort into developing an extensive network of spies as the Queen. Intelligence gained when people were relaxed and not under duress was the most accurate kind and thus the efficiency of subterfuge.

Back in the Enchanted Forest her spies had served her well on many occasions. In fact, she had even carefully placed individuals in villages she knew to be fostering rebellious sentiments. The reason for the tactic was simple: as feared and hated as she was, she appreciated the likelihood that people would be exceptionally secretive and equivocating unless they were in a place of comfortable familiarity. No matter how afraid of her they were and even under pain of death, most people brave enough to work against her would not betray their loved ones or principles they believed in with all of their hearts. But if they didn't know they were confessing to treason, if they thought they were speaking to a friend of a like mind, a person was much more likely to be open with their subversive beliefs.

The tactic paid off in spades, delivering actionable intelligence that prevented more than one open revolt and even one assassination attempt. In the end, the network proved so efficient and advantageous in general that even as Mayor and extending on into the present, Regina never allowed herself to grow so lax as to not have eyes and ears in every corner of her town.

As such, she was never far out of touch with the well-oiled machinery of the town's gossip mill, which provided her with reliable information as to the rumors going about town regarding her relationship with Ruby. There had been a few nasty ones that absolutely infuriated her, the worst of which asserted that she had forced Ruby into her bed in the same way she had Graham, by taking her heart. While it certainly stung that people still believed her capable of such a heinous crime, Regina had taken that one on the chin because she recognized how much she deserved that particular reputation. Her treatment of Graham was a stain on her heart she would never be able to wash out and which would haunt her until her dying day.

Her anger, however, was never for her own sake, but for Ruby's. Regina had feared Ruby might become tainted by association, which was ironic considering her own regard for Ruby vis-à-vis Snow once upon a time. And even though the speculation and rumors did not seem to bother Ruby at all, Regina still hated the thought that the harmless and innocent friendship between them was causing such aspersions to fall on Ruby's character. More than once, she had contemplated severing the friendship to save her friend's reputation, but could never bring herself to do so. At the time, she had simply needed Ruby too much to walk away, even when she knew her presence to be detrimental. Regina had always been selfish and as far as Ruby was concerned, she probably always would be.

Not every rumor was so vicious, though, as most believed her to be using Ruby as a pawn in her secret and continuing machinations against Snow, which had been a source of wry amusement. It seemed things always fell back to Snow in her life, even so far distant from that fateful day the girl rode into her life on a runaway horse, and while it would have once infuriated her to be inextricably linked with her former nemesis, she had long since moved past that hatred to settle, at the very least, into tolerance. Still, it gave her no small amount of pride to think that the epic feud between them would never fully leave the public consciousness. If so, in at least one way she was likely to live on forever, however shamefully it was for dedicating her life to destroying a kind and innocent albeit painfully naive young girl.

As for Snow herself, the way she reacted to the friendship was the most difficult to interpret, which was surprising considering the way the diminutive woman had once worn her emotions on her sleeves. But somehow while Regina wasn't paying attention Snow had grown frighteningly adept at masking her thoughts, and to the point that it was difficult to gauge her feelings when she wanted them to remain concealed, and as far as Ruby becoming friends with Regina, she did so to great effect.

Whenever Snow was present with them, the former bandit always acted with her uniquely nauseating blend of cheerfulness and relentless optimism, going so far as to actively encourage the friendship on more than one occasion. But eventually, she slipped up enough that Regina was able to witness to a wary look cross her features when she thought she wasn't being watched. By that point, though, Regina was too invested in Ruby to care about what anyone thought of their evolving relationship, even Snow.

For a long time she fought against the growing intensity of her feelings for Ruby, trying to reconcile where things were going with where they were, weighing the risks should things move beyond their current status into something more intimate. Having been burned by love more times than she cared to consider should have been motivation enough for the friendship she had built with Ruby to satisfy her, but it just wasn't. More and more she found herself thinking about Ruby at all hours of the day, from daydreaming in her office about what it would feel like to hold her hand in public to fantasizing at night in dreams so intensely erotic that she awakened sweaty and blushing with a deliciously pulsing ache between her legs.

But as much as she had come to desire more with her incredible friend, she was still unwilling to risk herself and equally unwilling to go upsetting the apple cart in her own life or in Ruby's, so she valiantly attempted to be content with the situation as it was. Those efforts proved futile, though, for as much as her mind wanted to keep a distance from Ruby in order to protect them both, her heart was not in agreement. Rather, the traitorous organ had, quite without permission, allowed Ruby to mosey around the walls she had once painstakingly erected to protect herself and with such frightening ease that before she could even fully process it, Regina realized she had fallen in love.

For weeks after that realization, she secretly agonized over what to do. On one hand, she recognized the fact that she would never be able to maintain the friendship as it was. The attraction to Ruby became too intense to ignore, particularly once she gave it relevance by acknowledging that it went beyond the physical. Something, she decided, was going to have to change, which left her with only two options: she could either give in to her feelings for Ruby or she would have to give Ruby up altogether, forever severing all ties between them. After nearly a week of wrestling with what to do, she finally abandoned the latter as untenable, for as she contemplated her choice, she came to the conclusion that losing Ruby from her life was simply too much to bear.

Having finally acknowledged the inescapable depth of her feelings, she then had to weigh the risks of moving forward because of how much she had to lose. If she chose to pursue Ruby, not only was her hard earned progress as a person at risk, but also the relationships she had built with Snow, David, and Emma (who were all Ruby's friends as well) would be forever altered. As the weight of those consequences dawned on her one night, she laid in bed in such distress that it felt like the walls were closing in on her.

But then her phone rang, and as if having heard Regina's heart crying out for her over the distance between them, it was Ruby who called, saying she had suddenly felt an undeniable need to hear Regina's voice. It was yet another exhibition of Ruby's eerie instinct to know when she was needed.

As that conversation wore on well past midnight, the comforting melody of Ruby's voice soothed away every last doubt and fear that had plagued Regina, something only two one other people had been able to accomplish: her father and Daniel. An hour later, the phone call ended with Regina working up enough nerve to bashfully ask Ruby out on their first date, to which Ruby quite enthusiastically agreed.

Despite having somewhat come to terms with her feelings, during that first tentative month of their nascent relationship, Regina still felt a need to be in control however she could. As seemed to be a habit, Ruby intuitively understand her motivations and was graciously willing to endure the forced secrecy and halting progress without complaint.

The internal war Regina waged against herself in those early days of dating was an exhausting one. A part of her wanted to surrender to the onslaught of emotions Ruby produced in her but there was another much more cynical part that wanted to hold back, not quite able to believe things could actually work out between them. In an almost disastrous turn of events, that internal conflict eventually spilled out, and in dramatic fashion.

It all happened one night about a month into the relationship and at the worst possible time: in the middle of a date. The only thing that could have made it worse was if they had been in public, but thankfully Regina had invited Ruby to her house for dinner, having wanted to prepare an intimate meal for her new lover. After eating, they were comfortably chatting about a variety of subjects and up until that point, the date had been going very well. But then the conversation turned to the next day.

With Regina having laid out her own schedule, Ruby then mentioned she planned to meet Victor Whale for drinks that afternoon. For some reason, the thought of Ruby spending time socially with someone other than her – particularly with the likes of Dr. Frankenstein – triggered a flare up of insecurity along with a large helping of jealousy, which in turn activated Regina's default coping mechanism of being domineering. In a domino effect, things quickly spun out of control.

Having an elephant-like memory and having played the consequent conversation on a loop for days afterward enabled Regina to easily recall every word spoken that night.

" _No, I forbid it!" she had suddenly exclaimed in anger, and the way she spoke to Ruby almost made her wince, although her indignation immediately drove such a reaction off._

 _Leaning forward in disbelief, Ruby's perfectly arched eyebrows raised in a mix of shock and objection. Having never before spoken to Ruby in such a way, Regina knew that her young paramour was unprepared for the outburst and hadn't quite known how to deal with the situation. So, for a moment she just sat there with a stunned expression of hurt in her eyes, but then her forehead furrowed with the onset of her own more righteous indignation._

" _Excuse me?" Ruby then retorted hotly. "Did I just hear you right? You forbid me to have drinks with Victor?"_

" _That's correct," Regina sternly replied, nodding sharply with a hard, edgy expression on her face. "I'm glad to see that your enhanced lupine hearing isn't going to waste on you." In her irrational state, she was unable to restrain herself from making the dig at Ruby's condition. While she was just lashing out – her anger was less about Ruby than it was about Victor and her own petty insecurities – Ruby was not privy to that information. "I know Victor Whale and I don't trust him. Nor should you. He's probably trying to take advantage of you as per his modus operandi."_

 _Ruby scoffed in response. "Relax, Regina. Victor's not trying to take advantage of me. Even if he were, it's not like I'm some helpless damsel in distress. I'm not weak and I'm not a child, so I can take care of myself. Besides, this is nothing new. We've been meeting monthly for drinks for a while now."_

" _Not anymore, you're not," Regina declared imperiously from her chair with her legs crossed and her hands gripping the edges of the armrests, very much like she would have as Queen while passing judgment on some poor soul who had affronted her. "And if you want to be with me, you will abide by my decision."_

 _In unconcealed disbelief, Ruby sat back in her chair, flinging her napkin on the table. She then glared pointedly at Regina._

" _Listen, Regina, I care about you," she said, her tone somewhat reassuring but being counteracted by her blazing eyes. "I love being with you. I'm in this 100%. I know you have a past with Victor, but no offense, you have a past with just about everybody in this town, including me._

" _But having said that, Victor is my friend. He's been there for me more than just about anyone else has. When everybody else got so wrapped up in their own problems that they forgot about me, he at least tried. So, respectfully, no. I'm not going to stop being his friend just because you say so."_

 _That response really set Regina off. Feeling her face turn red at the strain of her molten fury, she stood from her seat, her hands slamming onto the table with such terrific force that the plates and silverware caught air, clinking and rattling as they fell back to the surface. Ruby visibly flinched at the unexpected violence of the action, which satisfied Regina greatly._

 _Leaning forward over the table towards her shocked, wide-eyed girlfriend, Regina snarled ferociously._

" _You listen to me...every time I've risked my heart, it's come back to bite me in the ass. But not this time and never again. You won't see Victor again because I...for...bid...it."_

 _As soon as the words left her mouth, she blanched, having realized how much she sounded like a petty and jealous bitch, but at the same time was too caught up in her pride and anger to retract the statement. Her stomach roiled as she considered the possibility that she had just ruined their relationship. As she waited on Ruby to respond from where she sat in bewildered silence, Regina felt dread claw its way up her throat._

 _In what amounted to little more than instinctive reflex, she prepared herself to watch Ruby to walk out of her life forever, and at the very prospect of losing the woman for whom she had come to harbor such intense need and desire, her heart begin to crack. It was, she thought, an experience so horrible that she would never forget it._

 _But instead of blowing up as she expected and quite honestly deserved, after a moment of suffocating silence Ruby's green eyes softened and all traces of hurt and anger were washed away only to be replaced by something that awed Regina: understanding. Without a word, Ruby then stood from her chair, crossed to the other side of the table, and gathered Regina up in her arms._

" _What are you doing?" Regina almost numbly inquired, both her body and voice equally tense as she grasped to process what had just happened._

" _Supporting you," Ruby replied as she nuzzled her cheek affectionately against Regina's own. "Not walking out on you like you want me to and like you expect me to."_

" _Why?" was the whispered reply Regina gave as she tentatively relaxed into Ruby's embrace. "Everybody else leaves. Why not you as well?"_

 _After pulling back to place a gentle kiss on Regina's forehead, Ruby rested her own against it and then gave Regina a smile filled with such devotion that Regina was almost ashamed at having doubted her fidelity even a little. The only reason she did not feel overwhelmed by guilt was because she was so warm with a bubbling affection of her own that it drowned out those negative feelings._

" _Because I care," was Ruby's plain yet heartfelt response. "Because I'm committed to you. Because I'm not everybody else. Because I know who you are and I'm not scared or repulsed. Because I want you and need you in my life. Because seeing your face is the highlight of my day. Because I've waited for so long to have you that I'm not about to give you up now that I do. There are a thousand different reasons you can take your pick from, but the point is: I'm not leaving you."_

Biting her lip, Regina had fought against tears as Ruby's profound sentiments brought her down from the dizzying effects of her anger. Only as she calmed did the guilt begin to set in. Just like she had feared, her controlling nature had risen to the surface at a most inopportune moment, nearly derailing a perfectly lovely date in the process. But just as she would do time and again in the future, Ruby managed to salvage what might have been a disastrous misstep and make it into something beautiful by demonstrating a remarkable amount of patience, insight, and understanding into Regina Mills the woman behind the facade of the Mayor and Queen.

Though the night actually ended with her feeling closer to Ruby than ever, it didn't change the fact that she had hurt the one person other than Henry she most cared for in the world. Almost 3 years had passed since that night and she could still see the hurt and anger in Ruby's green eyes as she had spewed that possessive vitriol. Even now, it honestly astonished Regina that it hadn't been the end of their relationship, because for most people it would have been.

But Ruby was not most people. Unlike most everyone else in Regina's life, she could see past the walls, fronts, and masks that were presented to the world every single day, and which had remained unbroken and impenetrable until that fateful night. Ruby knew her simply because she had been concerned enough to probe beyond the surface that most people stopped at in their judgments, and because she was never satisfied until she dug deep down into the dark recesses of Regina's heart where those ugly parts of herself were kept hidden away. Having become aware of every deeply rooted flaw that lurked there and having borne witness to some of Regina's most spectacular failures in the past, it would have been logical for Ruby to have run for the hills. And yet the girl's devotion did not once waver.

In Regina's experience such acceptance typically came with a price, namely an obligation, whether spoken or unspoken, that she should conform to the social and moral mores of others, as was the case with the Charming brood. Of course, she really did try to be better, if only because her son wanted her to be one of the 'good guys', and though it was a difficult journey, over time she had learned to walk the fine line that enabled her to remain 'good' while allowing the less savory side of her personality to breathe just enough so as to not perish. However, doing so came at the cost of denying an inherent part of her character which was predisposed to darkness, and thus the depth of her struggle to remain 'heroic' in the eyes of others. Being a hero just didn't come naturally for Regina.

Sometimes, it honestly felt like the obligations she was under to remain on the side of good (from the town, the Charmings, and to some degree, Henry) were an elephant sitting on her chest, suffocating her under its oppressive weight. But there were no such obligations where Ruby was concerned. Ruby did not ask or expect or need for her to be anyone but herself, rather she chose to accept Regina and love her not only in spite of who she was but also because of who she was, and that was something Regina could confidently declare was not true for anyone else in her life.

Still, that didn't mean that she was deluded enough to believe herself to be fully reformed. Though much improved from the hateful and vindictive woman she once was, she was a far cry from perfect and had _major_ character flaws that were not conducive to long-term relationships. She was demanding and imperious and could be overly critical and snarky with the best of them. Most people could barely stand to be in her presence overly long in an official or a casual setting, and yet every morning for the past 3 years, Regina was blessed to awaken to the intimate sight of a gorgeous smile and the loving eyes of her steadfastly devoted partner.

Somehow with each and every day Ruby managed to find something in Regina worth praising – worth loving even – things that she had never been able to see in herself and which in turn inspired her to want to live up to the person Ruby saw in her. If it were possible for her to one day reward that faith by becoming such an individual, she would be able to consider her life a success.

Today, however, was most certainly not that day. With impatience setting in, her self-control was beginning to be taxed to the point of breaking and was increasingly being usurped by illogical anxiety. If Ruby did not get in contact with her soon, she was not going to be held liable for her actions.

After a dramatic sigh, she looked over at her phone on the end table and contemplated for a fourth time whether or not to pick it up in order to call Ruby or Emma. Shaking her head with annoyance, she dismissed the idea again, knowing that someone would have contacted her if something had happened she need to know about.

"Where are you, Ruby?" she asked rhetorically, her voice cutting harshly through the emptiness of the living room, and with the unanswered question hanging in the air, her gut twisted. She didn't know where Ruby was, but she couldn't help but feel that something was very, very wrong.


	3. Spells Trouble

**Notes:** I won't lie, I struggled with this chapter. A lot. I must have read and edited this one and the previous chapter 20 times each. In the end, I had to cut a bunch of stuff to make them more palatable and I'm still not sure they got there. Anyway, here is the chapter for y'all to digest. Next chapter will be up next week, Sunday at the earliest, Tuesday at the latest. I also want to wish a very Happy New Year to everyone! So until next time, buh-bye.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Also, please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately so I can correct them; you will be doing me a great service!

 **Chapter 2** – ...Spells Trouble

Groaning with frustration, Regina made yet another round pacing her living room. She couldn't help but wonder how difficult it could be to simply pick up the phone and call, even if only for Ruby to inform her that she might be home late. A very simple thing to do, and yet she remained in the dark as to Ruby's whereabouts. Had she not been able to rule out emergency as the cause of Ruby's tardiness, her concern might have turned into panic, but since all was quiet where the Sheriff's office was concerned, she could breathe a little easier.

Written into the bylaws of the town was a statute that required any and all events of significance to be promptly reported to the mayor. Had there been some catastrophe requiring the full attention of the Sheriff's office, she would have been notified. As far as Regina was concerned, no news was good news, with no new crisis to deal with, she was reassured of Ruby's safety for the moment.

That being the case, the only reasonable explanation remaining from her perspective was that Ruby had actually forgotten about their plans that evening and had decided on a whim to work late – that or the Sheriff had personally requested it. If either option was true, someone was in a lot of trouble, and with her temper roiling in concert with a steady, unnerving sense of unease, Regina was long past being picky who bore the brunt of her darkening mood. Whether it be Emma or at Ruby, she needed _someone_ to vent at.

Plopping down onto the couch, Regina crossed her legs and sighed, trying to decide whether or not to punish her errant girlfriend for the transgression of making her wait. For about half a second, she gave careful consideration to the idea of withholding sex until Ruby showed proper contrition, but dismissed the idea as both wasteful and self-detrimental. After all, by denying Ruby she would be harming herself as well, and with as long as their now-record dry period had lasted she was in no mood to prolong her misery any further than necessary.

"Damn you for taking that job at the Station, Ruby," she muttered angrily to the empty room, wishing things were the way they used to be.

More to the point, she simply missed Ruby. Over the years Ruby had come represent a rather sizable portion of Regina's happiness, occupying a place in her heart second to only Henry. And though such dependency could easily be misconstrued as unhealthy, it didn't feel that way at all.

Loving Ruby was not the kind of dependence an addict developed for their drug of choice; rather, it was more like how the body requires blood or oxygen to survive, absolute in necessity yet so fluently natural that if one was not careful it could be taken for granted. For three years now Regina had lived with the constant, steadying presence of the other half of her heart and soul, and along with the distance that had formed between them, she began to realize just how vital Ruby had become.

 _Perhaps_ , she thought, _my subconscious already knew that, and it was why I reacted so badly to this whole situation_.

Whatever the case, Regina found herself craving even the little things about Ruby, from the comforting smell of her subtle perfume to that luminescent smile that no other could rival. The mere sound of Ruby's voice was a balm on Regina's most frazzled days, soothing her down with gentle ease from the heights of irrational emotions. When all the world seemed aligned against her, just a word from Ruby was enough encouragement to keep holding on, lending strength with which to keep fighting even when all she wanted to do was give up.

Without Ruby's radiant personality to bring warmth to her heart and to fill up the void places that lurked in the shadows of her life, everything else seemed emptier. And though Ruby was mostly to blame for the situation, there was someone else complicit in her absence as well: Emma Swan.

"And damn you, too, Emma, right along with her," Regina then growled, having half a mind to wring the blonde's neck for throwing a road block in her otherwise happy life. If Emma had not given Ruby a taste of her particular line of work all those years ago, none of this would be happening.

Once, Ruby had confessed that she sometimes craved to experience the excitement of investigating crimes again. Since regaining her memories of her life before Storybrooke, she had regained some of Red's sense of adventure as well as her more sturdy mettle. The things that had scared Ruby away from the job during the Curse no longer held any sway with Red's memories returned, for as Red she had seen and done far worse than dig up a human heart in the woods. Adding her abilities as a werewolf to that, she had mused that in another life she would have made an excellent law enforcement agent. It was a supposition that Regina could not refute no matter how badly she wanted to.

Few could even hope to approach Ruby's frighteningly accurate instincts, and none could claim her prowess to track at so great a distance. As the wolf, Ruby could trail a target from up to 2 miles away, sometimes more if the winds were blowing in the right direction, and once she got a scent, she never lost it. Regina did not have to be a cop to understand how valuable a skill that was. Very likely it was the reason the Savior had so quickly agreed to Ruby's request in the first place. Having a werewolf on the force was boon that would seem foolish to pass up for a practical woman like Emma.

Having said that, Swan could have at least honored the friendship Regina had cultivated with her by doing her the courtesy of consulting her before officially approving the hire. But as per usual and even though intentional, a member of the Charming family was finding a way to subvert Regina's agency – indirect as it was – in order to mess up her life. And while the situation could not wholly be blamed upon Emma since it had been Ruby who approached Emma about the job and not the opposite, knowing such did not diminish her concerns considering the potential dangers Ruby might face on the job.

Although serving as a small town Deputy Sheriff could seem mundane on the surface, in reality it was very far from it. Like the quaint-looking town itself, being in law enforcement in Storybrooke was a serious matter that had required Emma and David to put their lives on the line on numerous occasions. Threats surfaced not only during extraordinary times when some otherworldly force or unforeseen villain cropped up, but they also came in more everyday situations where circumstances conspired to ramp tensions up to the breaking point between citizens. There was also petty crime to deal with, which the ways of means of this world only exacerbated by giving criminals ready access to weapons of more deadly precision and potency than anything that could have been imagined in the Enchanted Forest.

As an example, just last year Emma was nearly killed when she surprised a thief she was baiting into a trap. Not knowing the man had a gun, she sprang it after catching him in the act, but before she could so much as blink, he swirled on her and fired his 9 mm semi-automatic pistol at her head. Though Emma's quick reflexes saved her life, the bullet managed to graze her temple, creating enough of an impact that she fell to the ground from the shock of being hit. For a split second, her father had feared her dead because of how profusely the wound bled, but thankfully Emma was fine other than requiring a few stitches. Still, the close call had reminded both them and Regina that the job was never without danger.

Now Ruby was doing that same job as well, risking her life on a nightly basis for 15 dollars an hour. And for what? For money she did not need? To Regina, the whole situation was outrageous, yet even though she very much wanted to make demands that her partner cease her foolishness immediately, she did not feel as if she had the right.

Part of their promise to one another at the outset of their relationship was that one would never impose their will upon the other, something both women were insistent upon. Too much of that sort of thing had been done to them both for either to be put under such restrictions ever again, particularly for Regina who had been raised by a tyrant of a mother only to escape her into a marriage that was little more than privileged imprisonment. If her time under her mother and Leopold's thumb had taught her anything, it was the value of independence. Regina would never again allow anyone control over her life.

Like Regina, Ruby was no stranger to being deprived of agency over her life. She'd been raised in ignorance of her condition because of Granny's fear, and while the old woman's intentions had been good in keeping Ruby on a tight leash (no pun intended) for most of her life, the decision had lead to tragedy. Had Ruby been properly instructed how to deal with the wolf from her youth, Peter's death would have been avoided. Sadly, Granny's need to control Ruby resulting in Ruby suffering a trauma that haunted her to the present day.

Only in Storybrooke had both found freedom from their bondage, and having enjoyed it for so long, neither wanted to give it up. Thus, going in to the relationship both women had understood that the other desired companionship of the kind that was not oppressive or possessive, so in that sense, Regina knew that if she wanted to maintain her own independence, Ruby was and always would be a free woman. She was therefore free to make her own decisions even when Regina disagreed.

Of course, Regina having a volatile temper sometimes made those disagreements excessive in vehemence, particularly when Ruby was feeling obstinate. Though rare, at times their arguments turned into full on screaming matches that eventually degenerated into breaking things. Given that both women were dominant alpha personalities, it was not at all surprising that they fought. From time to time, boundaries needed to be reworked in a way that was mutually beneficial to both their individual benefits and for the general well-being of their relationship, and in typical wolf fashion, fighting was the way Ruby chose to deal with such realignments, which was more than fine with Regina. A good fight was healthy for the soul, after all, especially when it was followed up by intense, mind-blowing make-up sex.

But even their worst disagreements had never dragged on as long as this current situation had, and as a result Regina was living in a constant state of wary discomfort. Sometimes it felt as if she was losing Ruby – that her girlfriend was purposefully pulling away through the front of working two jobs for some ambiguous reason that she constantly skirted around and which Regina could not fathom. And while Ruby swore up and down that was not the case, Regina could not help but worry.

Her relationship with Ruby was the longest and healthiest she'd ever had, so the more she felt it was at risk, the more she wrestled against a nagging sense of panic that the floor was set to cave in on her at any moment. In the past, feeling that way always produced reckless behavior from her, and though she had thus far been able to restrain that old instinct to force change through action, it was only a matter of time before those powerful inclinations overwhelmed all reason. If that happened, she would likely make a worse mess than they were already in, which was the last thing she wanted.

The only way to fix things for good was for Ruby to come back home where she belonged, something Regina wanted more than anything else of late. All of those old insecurities and doubts that haunted her memory would never fade back into the shadows until Ruby was back to her old life, typified by such mundane details as a job waiting tables at her grandmother's diner and an easy willingness to set aside time to goof off with Henry before dinner. It was almost disconcerting just how much Regina missed hearing the sounds of their more competitive video game sessions and the peals of laughter they would share when one of them did something comically stupid.

Another thing she missed was eating meals with her whole family present. While Regina loved her son with every fiber of her being, breakfast and dinner were just not the same without Ruby there to liven them up with corny jokes and her infectious laugh. Considering the obstacles and frustrations that sometimes lay in wait for the mayor of Storybrooke, sipping coffee and reading the paper while Ruby and Henry chatted up a storm made Regina's mornings so much brighter and infinitely more tolerable than they would be otherwise. Sharing such domestic simplicity with another adult was something Regina had lacked until Ruby came along, and she wanted it back badly that she ached.

Rolling her eyes at herself, Regina scoffed audibly, wondering when had she turned into a hormonal and sentimental fool. She couldn't say for sure when it had happened, but it certainly seemed to be the case these days. Because of her penchant for extreme mood swings during different times in her life, she hadn't worried very much about her uneven state of mind. Yet she was still aware of the fact that for most of the past two months she had vacillated between putting on a cold front and acting atypically emotional, and to top it all off, she was suffering migraines on an almost daily basis.

Under normal circumstances such a confluence of symptoms would have been cause for concern, but when the person who most complemented her in life was so conspicuously and suddenly absent, it was nearly impossible to maintain any kind of balance. As such, she dismissed the mood swings as inconsequential side-effects of the upset in her routine imposed upon her by Ruby's very disagreeable choice.

"Yet another thing to blame her for," Regina groused to herself, irritated and unsettled from so much emotional upheaval.

Painfully aware that all of the frustration she felt was just exacerbated concern, she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep, steady breath in an effort to recompose herself. Whatever the reason for Ruby being late, it was more likely than not to be reasonable if not inconsiderate, and as much as Ruby tended to anticipate their Friday night dates, Regina did not want to ruin it over a simple misunderstanding.

Ever since taking that utterly pointless second job, Ruby had been diligent in making her way home early enough on Friday afternoons so that she could get in a few quick hours of sleep. Her reasoning was that she wanted to be awake and refreshed for when Regina returned from work at 6 pm. While Ruby could persist for days without sleep if required, lack of rest always subdued her personality, which was something she did not want to happen so they could enjoy their time together. For the most part it had proved to be a sound theory.

Ordinarily when Regina arrived home from work on Friday evening, Ruby would be long since home, and having awakened from her short nap would be up to her elbows in some form of household work, full of more energy than it seemed her slim frame could contain. It never ceased to amaze Regina at how quickly the girl could recharge her battery.

But even more incredible than Ruby's capability for swift recovery was the thoughtfulness of the gesture. As part of their agreement for her tolerance of Ruby becoming a Sheriff's Deputy, Regina had temporarily relieved her girlfriend of the burdens of domestic labor. Yet even as exhausted as Ruby was under such an excessive load, every Friday afternoon Regina would come home to a girlfriend acting every part the cheerful busy bee while doing the laundry, folding clothes, cleaning the house, or prepping dinner. After a long day at the office, seeing such evident devotion in action was a balm Regina rarely felt she deserved but always cherished.

Only once had there been an exception to that routine. It happened on a Friday only one week ago when, as per usual, Regina had come home at 6 pm expecting to find Ruby flitting about the house doing something or other, but instead, she discovered her bedraggled girlfriend asleep on the couch in her work clothes, snoring adorably albeit loudly into the otherwise quiet living room. Appearing as if she had been drained of vitality, the younger woman's normally happy countenance was drawn into an expression of profound weariness, underscored by dark circles beneath her eyes that made her appear much older than her relatively youthful 30 years. A frown had also been marring her features while her mouth hung open, kind of like even the muscles in her jaw were weary beyond the capacity to hold her mouth closed.

Although it had made a pitiful portrait to see Ruby in such a state, it only served to deepen Regina's frustration at the situation. No one was responsible for Ruby being in that condition save herself, yet even so, she had felt bad for Ruby, especially when she was reluctantly rustling her from her deep slumber a few minutes later. Although Ruby had quite obviously needed the rest, she would not have wanted to miss spending any of their treasured family time together.

Not long after Ruby moved in, Friday night family time became a special tradition on the weekends Henry spent with Regina. On those special nights, she and Ruby always tried to have some kind of activity scheduled that involved him as well, such as board games or a movie of his choice, but on the every other weekend that he was with Emma, they utilized that time to enjoy being alone together, and considering how much Ruby had been working lately, that allotted time was made even more precious.

On those scheduled date nights, they alternated between choosing their activities, and whereas Ruby skewed toward more fun, adventurous plans such as dancing or rollerskating, Regina typically preferred staying in to prepare a nice meal for them both and then decompress with wine and conversation. But regardless of whose turn it was to choose their date night activity, Ruby was always abounding with anticipation at spending time together. Thus since taking up a second job, she was punctual about getting home by noon on Friday to rest up for whatever was planned for that night. For that reason alone, her tardiness was extremely disconcerting.

It was even more worrying that Ruby would have neglected to at least call. Since starting to work at the Sheriff's Station, Ruby had yet to forget her promise to call Regina after she got home, even if just to let her know that she was safe. That phone call had been one of the main stipulations for Regina's tolerance of her girlfriend putting herself in danger on a daily basis.

Not wanting to seem like she was trying to smother her partner, she sat down with Ruby the day before her first day at the Station in order to explain her reasoning.

"I trust you, darling," she had told Ruby with grave, glassy eyes, their hands linked together, "but as you well know, I've lost two loves already. Both did great damage to my heart that took time to recover from. Losing Daniel nearly broke me and losing Robin certainly set me back, but I didn't love either of them as long or as much as I love you. I don't think I would survive if something happened to you."

Ruby had visibly melted at the confession and had been more than happy to agree to the stipulations. She even volunteered an oath of her own that she would always be careful and that she would always be waiting at home for Regina to return of an evening. Thus far she had exercised extreme diligence in abiding by the rules set out, for not only had she avoided injury to date, but upon arriving home each day she called as agreed upon and made sure to be awake by the time Regina got home from work. There was really no room for complaint with the way Ruby went above and beyond the call of duty.

Ruby's patient, dutiful nature had been one of the more pleasant discoveries for Regina at the outset of their relationship. Aside from the obvious characteristics of Storybrooke's most famous waitress, at that time she hadn't known Ruby well enough yet to be fully acquainted with all of her prospective lover's attributes. When weighing the fact that Ruby was a werewolf with her relative youth (Ruby had been 27 when they started dating, 12 years Regina's junior), Regina had honestly expected a torrid affair full of passion that would probably flame out after a month or two once her younger lover grew tired of her. For that reason among others, she had initially experienced a fair amount of trepidation when they became involved.

Aside from not wanting a brief fling, Regina had valued the friendship she had built with Ruby as too precious to waste, so she had also been reasonably concerned about the possibility of ruining it by getting involved with Ruby. And then there was the age gap, which had also been an issue. Being a woman who prided herself on appearance, Regina had initially feared that she would be perceived negatively because of the decade plus between them, and at the same time it had also entered her mind that eventually Ruby would realize that if they stayed together, she would be 38 when Regina turned 50. That kind of difference would be a deterrent to most.

To her relief, she very quickly discovered that all of her concerns were totally unfounded. As their romance bloomed, their friendship strengthened along with it, and as weeks turned to months which turned to years, the flame of passion never went out. As far as the age thing, Ruby found it a point of pride that she was with someone who was, in her own words, "mature and established in the sexiest way possible." While Regina did not like being wrong, in that case, she was happy to be so. Still, even though off the mark with most of her predictions about a relationship with Ruby, she was correct with at least one: the physical nature of their romance was indeed combustible.

Perhaps it was because both of them were powerful, stubborn, passionate, and hot-blooded a-type personalities who were both painfully attracted to one another that things between the sheets were so explosive. Perhaps it was just because they were both in similar situations in their lives, so they had been looking for the same kind of connection to share. Whatever the cause, it translated into an intimacy that was very nearly all-consuming, particularly during that special time of the month when Ruby's personality became so intensely magnified under the influence of the moon.

During Wolf's Time, Ruby became increasingly tactile and had a hard time controlling her compulsive need to be in constant physical contact, which made for some potentially uncomfortable situations. Henry did not seem to mind the extra hair ruffles and hugs, but since Regina was a reserved person by nature, the werewolf's subconsciously overt displays often caught her completely unprepared and tended to cause a great deal of discomfort.

That aspect of Ruby had taken a long time to grow accustomed to, but eventually Regina learned to appreciate being so freely showered with affection. Seeing as it was something she hadn't really received much of either as a child or as an adult, the intense attention gave her a warm feeling of belonging that counteracted her penchant for social restraint. It honestly took her by surprise how good it felt to know that Ruby loved her so much that she literally could not control herself at times.

Still, because the open manner in which Ruby doled out her devotion was a new and very difficult experience for Regina to adjust to, she made Ruby agree to be discreet in public, even after they started dating openly. Ruby was extraordinarily gracious in understanding the request and had admirably abided by it, but the agreement never extended behind closed doors. The bedroom was the one place Regina permitted Ruby to unleash all of that affection she kept otherwise tethered, and by God did she make the most of it.

During Wolf's Time, however, things got very interesting indeed. Seeing as it only came around once a month, it was easy to forget that Ruby was not just a woman, but a wolf as well, and as Wolf's Time came around each month, Regina found herself being reminded of the unique needs and desires of her paramour.

Whereas on one hand, Ruby was gentle, patient, and attentive, she could also be possessive and territorial, and those facets generally only manifested through harmless acts such as hovering extra close when they were together or glaring away the odd individual who dared to give Regina a once over. For the most Ruby kept her wolf under control, even in the bedroom, but when she did permit her alter ego influence over her passions, she became aggressive and rough, though never past the point of pleasure.

Regina could remember very well the first time the wolf expressed herself during sex. They had been together almost 4 months by that time and it had been very near to Wolf's Time when one night while in the midst of being quite thoroughly ravished, Ruby had bitten her shoulder hard enough to draw blood. Even had Regina been forewarned, she could never have prepared herself for the reality altering orgasm that ripped through her body. Her senses were so overloaded by a potent mix of pain and pleasure that her vision very briefly blurred and she literally collapsed atop her lover in a boneless, convulsing heap.

At first, Ruby was smugly satisfied at her work, and deservedly so, but when she noticed the blood trickling from Regina's shoulder, she became instantly mortified. In tears and apologizing profusely, she begged Regina for forgiveness. Seeing that Ruby had already explained that a bite from her would only pass on her curse if she was fully shifted, Regina had not been the least bit angry or hurt or offended or even disgusted (especially considering that she quite enjoyed a little rough play from time to time, particularly during her time as the Queen). Therefore there was, she had insisted, nothing to worry about or apologize for. Still, the next several minutes were spent reassuring Ruby by both word and action that the wound was so minor as to require minimal effort to magically mend.

Later that night they were lying awake in bed with Ruby playing her favorite role of the "big spoon", one arm tightly wrapped around Regina's waist and the other stretched out underneath the pillows. Being wrapped up in the cocoon of covers and warmed by the preternatural heat radiating from Ruby's skin, Regina had felt so sated, safe, and comfortable that she had almost immediately started to drift off to sleep. But then all of the sudden Ruby's voice in her ear gripped her out of the pull of slumber.

Completely unprompted and with a measure of lingering guilt easily discernible in her voice, she began to explain her unusually aggressive action.

"As you might know, the full moon is tomorrow night," she had said as she pressed her forehead into the space between Regina's shoulder blades. "I should have known better than to let things get that far with her so close to the surface, but I couldn't seem to control myself. When Wolf's Time is close, she starts to assert herself more and more, so I can get a little aggressive, especially when I'm as... _aroused_ as I was. She feels what I feel and I feel what she feels, so while I'm human, her influence is only reflective of my most intense desires and vice versa. It's why I felt so wretched after learning about the wolf from my mother. What happened to Peter..."

At that she trailed off, and when she spoke again, her voice was thick with emotion. "Some part of me, however dark and deep it was, had wanted to rip him apart...to devour him whole. I am the monster and the monster is me. There is no separating us, so I can't deny her or what she feels."

Breathing deeply through her nose, Ruby then slightly tightened her hold around Regina's waist. "And so I...uh...wow, this is really hard for me to admit, but in that moment I...wanted to...bite you that is. It wasn't just her. It was me, too. But I swear to you, I didn't mean for it to be so hard and I'm so sorry about that, Regina, so damn sorry."

Regina had started to turn so that she could look her grieved girlfriend in the face, but Ruby's strong arm clamped down around her waist, preventing the movement. Sighing, Regina replied, "As I said before, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I'm fine, and as you could clearly see, I quite enjoyed it. You don't have to be sorry."

"I know, I know." Ruby's tone was lamenting as she nodded against Regina's back. "But this is not just about that."

Regina's brows furrowed even though Ruby was not in a position to see the reaction. "Okay...then what is it about?"

"I was getting to that," was Ruby's answer, and Regina smiled at hearing a bit of tentative playfulness in her inflection. "It's about how I feel – how she feels..about you."

Feeling a blush rise from her chest to her cheeks, Regina was very glad in that moment that her face was hidden from Ruby's penetrating gaze. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Ruby said as she scooted forward and maneuvered her head into the space between Regina's shoulder and neck to place a lingering kiss there. Biting her lip, Regina shuddered at the feeling of moist lips and warm breath against the sensitive skin. "Listen, this relationship – what we have between us – it isn't just about sex. I mean, the sex is...just... _wow_ , but it's more than that for me. You know that, right?"

Regina nodded fervently, having felt the same. "Of course I do."

"Good." Ruby then dipped down to kiss the junction of Regina's neck and shoulder once more. This time, her eyes slid shut at the contact. "Because that's why she came out tonight. She wanted to claim you." And before she could even object to such a concept as being 'claimed', Ruby placed yet another kiss just under the lobe of her right ear. "Not that I want to own you or anything, because I don't, and neither does she. It was more of a way for her to express her devotion, or to say 'I love you'. I think she knew I needed her courage because she was saying it for me, too."

Though she shouldn't have been, Regina was startled by the admission. When she shifted onto her back, she was met with a gently smiling Ruby, who was leaning over her with such a sweet expression of abashment that it made her appear even younger than her 27 years. But more than that, she hardly looked like a human being anymore; so beautifully ethereal and bathed in the soft light of the moon, she more resembled an angel. The sight of her took Regina's breath away.

But then reality crashed down upon her and she realized she was once again about to hear those 3 little words that had preceded the doom of every relationship she ever had. Out of an instinctual sense of fear, her chest tightened and her eyes widened. "Ruby?"

Peering down, Ruby's eyes shimmered with unshed tears that gathered beneath her lids and which reflected the white luminance of the moon. "I love you, Regina," she then declared, her voice strong and reassuring as if having deciphered Regina's poorly disguised fear. "And I know it might be scary because of what you've gone through, but you don't have to be afraid. Not with me. I'm not going anywhere. I need you to hear me right now and believe me when I say that I'm never going to leave you – not by choice."

Although Regina certainly had her doubts that anyone could back up such a bold proclamation, there was no doubt at all to be found in Ruby's face. There was only calm assurance. Of course, that's not to say she didn't believe Ruby's profession to be sincere, because she did. There was no doubt in her mind that Ruby loved her; in fact, she was willing to bet her life on it if she had to. Those words had not been carelessly spoken, but were backed up by months of evidence in a million little things Ruby had done and said, all indicating what was in her heart.

To be honest, she had suspected for weeks that it was coming and as obvious as the signs were, she would have had to be a blind fool to not see them. At that time, it had seemed as if Ruby were wearing her heart on her sleeve, her love declaring itself as plain as day with every lingering touch, with the way it seemed she always itched to hold Regina's hand in public, and most conspicuously in those deeply expressive green eyes. Only one other person had ever looked at Regina the way Ruby did, and that was Daniel. Regina knew what love looked like when it was written in a person's eyes and it was there every time Ruby's were focused on her.

Knowing that Ruby was in love with her had given Regina an exquisite sense of happiness, but when considering her track record, it also came with fear. It was no surprise then that when Ruby had actually said the words, Regina found herself caught between exhilaration and dread.

"How can you be so sure?" Regina then asked around her complicated feelings. "I've heard those words twice before from lovers, and both of them left me."

With a tender expression, Ruby swept her hand delicately across Regina's brow and then threaded her fingers through the hair at her temples. "I know your history with love is painful, but can I ask you a question?" Ruby paused until Regina nodded for her to continue. "In all of the years that I was on the run with Snow, even when we were facing seemingly insurmountable odds, did I ever abandon her?"

Having already known the answer, Regina shook her head, biting her lip as moisture gathered at her eyelids. Ruby's question had hit at an intrinsic part of her character that would, if Regina could only let it, serve as ample reassurance for her doubts. "No, you didn't. You're the most loyal person I know."

Despite the fact she had prompted the praise, Ruby ducked her head and prettily blushed before returning her adoring gaze to Regina. "I loved Snow, and I still love her, but not like I love you. We've only been together a few months, but I already love you so much more than I have ever loved anyone, even Peter. I'm yours, Regina: deeply, truly, wholly. My heart belongs to you and I will stay by your side for as long as I live if you'll have me."

Filled with an indescribable sense of awe and wonder, Regina was rendered temporarily speechless and unable for a time to return the sentiments. If she tried for a hundred years, she would never be able to express how much those words had meant, for not only were they beautiful beyond compare, but they also presented a truth that no one could ever take away from her. No matter what any of her plentiful enemies might say, there was someone in the world who loved her – really loved her, only her, and forever.

Of course, by that stage in their relationship, Regina had already come to the realization that she was in love with Ruby, too, but she had worried it might be difficult to express those feelings when the time came. She had never been a particularly emotive woman, and seeing as her mother had been a cold, heartless, and emotionless witch, what pathetically infrequent practice she got as a child in expressing her emotions was with her father. And though Daniel and then later on Henry had helped her to grow in that regard, she had remained a woman who tended to fiercely guard her heart.

However, none of that had mattered as the magnitude of her feelings for Ruby began to engulf her entire being, swallowing her up in a cleansing flood that washed away all of those old predispositions to conceal her emotions. Those particular walls coming down marked an enormously important moment in her life. It was a paradoxical feeling, her heart being rendered so wholly vulnerable yet maintaining a serene security in the knowledge that she was so loved and cherished by a woman who would go to the ends of the earth for her. If asked, Regina did not doubt for a second that Ruby would die for her, for that was what had been implied.

When Ruby had mentioned her loyalty to Snow, she was saying that as far as she had gone for Snow, including risking her life on an almost daily basis, she was willing to go even further for Regina. The gravity of that indirect declaration spoke to the enormous extent of Ruby's feelings, which only added to the validation Regina felt at being the recipient of those feelings (and though she certainly hadn't needed Ruby's love to validate her existence or give meaning to her life, the effect was significant all the same). Regina couldn't have known it, but that night began the process of healing the damaged parts of her that were still convinced she was unlovable.

After a long period of silence as she contemplated those things, she noticed that Ruby's face began to grow unsure while gauging Regina's reaction with cautious optimism. Realizing she had left her girlfriend hanging as to whether her declaration was welcome to not, Regina sprung to action, hooking her leg over Ruby's hip, using it as leverage to roll them both over. Ruby yelped in surprise, and before she could respond verbally, Regina began peppering her face and mouth with kisses.

"I love you, too," she murmured as her lips settled against Ruby's. "So much. So very, very much."

And then Regina proceeded to kiss the woman she loved again and again and again. Needless to say, there hadn't been much talking after that milestone moment in their relationship. Taking things much more slowly this time, they enjoyed the passion of the moment as they once again proved their perfect compatibility.

After expressing their love for one another, Regina was able to settle in to the relationship much more easily. Still, being a hard person to live with, she sometimes caught herself wondering if there might come a day in which their strong personalities might clash in a way that would prove fatal to the relationship. And yet for the six months they dated before moving in together, there was no sign of that happening.

Quite to the contrary, Ruby seemed to adapt like a fish to water to their life together, which was a feat in and of itself for many reasons. For instance, Regina was a punctual woman and hated having to wait for people, but she had known from the outset of the relationship that Ruby had a tendency to procrastinate, resulting in her having to fly in on a wing and a prayer to engagements. Because of that, when they started to attend social functions as a couple, Regina had honestly expected to have to ride Ruby's ass to be ready on time. But to her great surprise, Ruby was ready before she was, and for as long as they had been together, that was often the case.

Another thing that had concerned Regina was Ruby's tendency to be a bit unorganized. Once, when they had just started dating, Regina surprised Ruby at her apartment in the B&B, and had been quite openly mortified by the general state of disarray the apartment was in. Ruby apologized profusely for the mess, blushing up to her ears in such an adorable manner that Regina forgot all about scolding her. But because of that, she had made sure Ruby understood her expectation that her house be kept in order.

Messiness was something that Regina could absolutely not tolerate since her mother had instilled in her an appreciation for tidiness from a very early age. Granny (while doing the best she could) had not been nearly as stringent with Ruby, mostly because she was too busy working or cleaning or hunting to stay on Ruby's case all the time, which meant Ruby was much less orderly in general. To her credit, however, she kept her things in order with little fuss and few exceptions.

But the most important adaptation Ruby made was that she never pushed Regina further than she was willing to be pushed. Over the course of the 28 year curse, Regina had gotten to know most of the citizenry that inhabited her town, so she knew what kind of people they were and how they tended to behave even in terms of their romantic endeavors. And while Regina was reserved and private, jaded by her past and slow to the gate with trust, she knew Ruby to be the opposite. Their dichotomous natures might have been insurmountable obstacle had it not been for Ruby's selfless accommodation in finding a way to be herself by expressing her love openly and fiercely inside the private confines of their home while at the same time showing remarkable restraint when in public out of respect for Regina.

Like no other before her, Ruby put Regina first, not once judging her for her hesitant nature with her heart or trying to change the way she approached her love life. It was the first time Regina had felt like it was okay for her to be herself in a relationship, that there wasn't something wrong with her that needed to be fixed, that she wasn't defective or broken beyond repair. Ruby's patience did that. So despite how different they seemed to be at first blush (and Regina was willing to admit they made for an unconventional couple), they just worked, fitting together in such a seamless way that sometimes it seemed like they had never been apart.

But then as if fate had conspired to burst her happy bubble, Ruby announced out of the blue that she was going to start picking up shifts at the Sheriff's Station in addition to her normal workload at the diner. And now she working at least 16 hours a day, 5 days a week, with the occasional weekend on call at the Station. Regina supposed there were some people who would be grateful that their significant other was working so hard for their family, but she was not among them.

Since the curse had supplied her with a generous amount of wealth, money was not an issue for Regina. In addition to that, her current position on the town council afforded her more than a respectable wage. In comparison with 99 percent of the population in Storybrooke, they lived in absolute luxury, so Regina had been understandably confused when Ruby informed her that she had talked to Emma about working as a deputy again and that Emma had agreed to rehire her. Suitably angry, Regina questioned Ruby about it, but her girlfriend was evasively unwilling to explain herself, just as she continued to be each time after.

"Just trust me," was the standard answer Regina got, accompanied by that adorable, lopsided grin that normally got Ruby out of all sorts of trouble.

Most of the time Regina would just roll her eyes, kiss Ruby and move on, but there were times that she got aggravated, which sparked disagreements, even as recently as the previous night. After tonight, however, there would be no more brushing off the long overdue conversation about Ruby's job at the Sheriff's Station. Needing real answers, Regina was past the point of patience and would suffer no more deflection, especially since Ruby was almost 3 hours late now.

Of course, Ruby had ran late once before, but she had preemptively called to let Regina know what was going on out of courtesy. That was just the kind of person Ruby normally was. So for her to be so late without making contact had all sorts of possibilities running rampant through Regina's mind, the worst of which was the thought of Ruby lying dead somewhere after an altercation with whatever trademarked Disney villain of the month was now threatening or pillaging the town. Clamping down on those thoughts, Regina refused to lend credence to them because if she did, they might become legitimate, and she had suffered far too much loss in her life to contemplate losing someone else.

Now thoroughly agitated, she stood and paced the living room for about fifteen minutes, very seriously contemplating giving in to her almost constant urge to call the Sheriff's Station. It was only after she finally heard a car pull into the driveway that she stopped her pacing, and shortly thereafter she heard footsteps upon the walkway as someone approached the front door. Rushing over to greet who she assumed was Ruby, she didn't even bother looking out the window to see if she recognized the vehicle. She arrived just in time for the front door to be kicked open in her face.

When the heavy wooden object smashed into her forehead, her vision exploded in a cacophony of brilliant hues interspersed with inky blackness. The force of the impact was so violent that it knocked her back into the table in her foyer, causing an expensive porcelain vase and two glass candle holders to fly from the surface only to smash into the floor. Shattered glass was sent flying in every direction, depositing itself all over the hardwood floors of the foyer.

Clinging to the table, Regina frantically attempted to will her swimming vision to clear up. In that split second, it seemed as if her house were rotating around her, causing her to feel nauseous and unsteady. Sadly, just when it seemed things were about to come into focus, whoever kicked in the door entered the house. Upon hearing boots heavily stomping toward her, Regina glanced up, her eyes locking on to the face of her attacker. She gasped.

"You!" she exclaimed in unexpected recognition, eyes widening in terror as she caught a glimpse of the long, silver blade of a knife arcing toward her.

Unable to react in time to evade the blow, she heard a dull thud as the blade sank into the right side of her chest. Shock prevented her from feeling much after the first white hot lance of agony in her chest. Taking the table with her, she stumbled backward from the impact, though instinct allowed her to recover just enough to grab a handful of the invader's shirt. When he jerked away, it tore in her hand. Regina tossed the fabric to the floor as she saw the assailant raising his knife to stab at her again.

With adrenaline pumping angrily through her veins, lending her strength beyond what her body was capable of producing, she kicked out at the intruder. When the point of her heels impacted his chest, he reeled away from her cursing. She utilized the distance to brace for another attack. Staggering in place, she brought herself up to her full height, glaring at the man, but rather than charge at her again, she was surprised to see him turn and flee out the broken front door of her home. It was over.

With a gasp, Regina collapsed to her knees beside the table, barely able to breathe. As the adrenaline began to fade from her system, an agonizing pain replaced it, radiating through her upper torso and lighting her chest on fire with every labored breath. Her sight began to blur. She tried to stand only to completely crumple to the floor on her side.

As she laid there helplessly, Regina could feel her life draining out of her body onto her immaculate floors, and she lamented that they would have to be polished again only a month removed from the last time. The absurdity of the thought did much to reveal her state of wellness. It was clear to her that she was going into shock.

Closing her eyes, Regina tried to gather her breath once more, but as her heartbeat began to pulse behind her lids, panic began to set in. But then the man's face popped into her mind and she realized Ruby's life was in peril. With a surge of strength and willpower accompanying her overwhelming desire to protect the woman she loved, Regina opened her eyes and refused to give up so easily.

After steeling herself against the pain she was about to endure, she began to crawl toward her living room through the glass that littered the floor. With each motion of her limbs, jolts of agony erupted in her chest, and she moved through the minefield of broken glass, she moaned pathetically at the additional pain each shard inflicted as it sliced into her skin. Clawing at the floor as she dragged herself forward, she panted for each breath, and occasionally had to halt as she began to gag on her own blood. The torment of her wounds along with those delays meant that the short distance which should have taken no more than three seconds to cross on foot instead felt like an eternity.

Her mind was in such a haze that Regina could not begin to estimate how long it took her to reach the end table, but when she made it at long last, she reached up to paw at the area where she had placed her cell phone. After a few fruitless swipes, she managed to knock the device onto the floor and then picked it up, clutching it with bloody hands.

It took several moments of fumbling with blood-soaked fingers for her to dial 911 on the now wet surface of her phone. After only one ring, a voice greeted her on the other end of the line. The only thing Regina was able to do before passing out was to mutter a nearly incoherent, "Help me." Oblivion then descended, dragging her away into the fathomless depths of unconsciousness.


	4. A Bad Day Gets Worse

**Notes:** Here is the next chapter, this time from Ruby's perspective. Enjoy! Next on in a few days.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Also, please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately so I can correct them; you will be doing me a great service!

 **Chapter 3** – A Bad Day Gets Worse

It had been a very bad day for Ruby Lucas. Things began going sideways from the moment she rolled out of bed last night and they had not improved very much since, which would have made for a very long and trying night at the station even if things had been normal – which they were not. Rubbing her forehead tiredly as she leaned over her desk, Ruby wished for all the world that she could just have a do over.

First of all because she was working far too much of late, she was still bone weary when she woke up. Wanting nothing more than to sleep away another half day, the simple act of peeling her eyelids open had required more effort than ever before. The only way she was able to motivate herself to move at all was by remembering the objective she was striving toward, and that rest would come later after it was achieved.

Without even bothering to leave the comforting warmth of the bed, she sluggishly fetched her phone from the nightstand. Upon checking it, she noticed a text from Granny that came in while she was asleep, informing her that yet another wolf was found dead near the dens to the south of town.

For the past six months and change the wolves of Storybrooke were being preyed upon by a very skilled poacher who was for some unknown reason collecting only the canines and leaving the carcasses behind otherwise undisturbed. The senseless slaughter seemed to serve no purpose, which made it all the more infuriating.

As a werewolf, Ruby considered the wolves to be kindred of sorts, so she took their deaths personally. With each new incident, her anger mounted, lingering for days and keeping her awake at night, wondering what could possess someone to be so needlessly cruel. Over time, the mystery came to occupy a fair portion of her free time, which she utilized to hunt for the perpetrator on her own. For countless hours she had searched, roving the forests relentlessly in her pursuit, yet even in her wolf form she had been unable to ferret out the culprit. Her lack of progress served as a source of immense frustration. The wolves needed her help and the shameful fact that she was unable to give it made her feel like a complete failure.

And then to compound her general misery of late, there was also the fact that two months worth of working two jobs – both of which could be in very high stress environments – was beginning to exact a marked toll on both her mind and body. Increasingly tired all hours of the day, uncharacteristically short-tempered, and emotions unpredictable at best, she felt as if her life had become a perpetual flight aboard a stunt plane, haywire and frantic and with little rhyme or reason.

As if that weren't bad enough, her precious time alone with Regina had been limited to the every other weekend Henry stayed with Emma, which is not to say that she begrudged her girlfriend whatever time with her son she could get. She didn't. Quite the opposite in fact.

Ruby loved spending time with Henry and Regina as a family unit. Some of the best times of her life were had during outings in which they simply enjoyed each others company on an outdoor adventure. Whether horseback riding or swimming in the ocean or Ruby's personal favorite, ice skating under a gently falling shower of snow, sharing those life affirming experiences with the people she loved most gave her a sense of fulfillment that little else could.

And even when they just decided to lounge around at home instead of going out, they found ways to have fun. Playing board games was a particular joy, especially when Regina was losing and got all adorably flustered. One thing Ruby could say she knew about Regina Mills was that the woman hated to lose – at anything really – so whenever she fell behind Ruby or Henry in a game of Monopoly or even a stake-free game of Gin Rummy, she became extra competitive and really buckled down on her focus in order to, as she described it, "wrest victory from the jaws of defeat." Ruby thought it especially cute how she would knit her brows together and worry her lips as she studied her hand.

Sometimes Regina would get so lost in concentration that she would poke her tongue out, completely unaware that she was doing it. Whenever that happened, Ruby and Henry would trade conspiratorial grins with one another while she wasn't looking, enjoying the brief glimpse into the less buttoned up version of the woman they both adored. It was the little things like that which made her feel like she was part of something real and vital, something bigger than herself that she had been missing for most of her life.

Because Granny was only one woman and had worked so much, she had little time for frivolous things like playing games. As a consequence, Ruby had grown up, much like Regina had, not knowing the carefree joys of being a child. Youth in the Enchanted Forest could be harsh even for members of the upper crust, and in ways that children in this world could comprehend due to the general abundance they so took for granted.

For instance, isolated as Granny kept them, Ruby had no peers to play with as a child, and to entertain herself had resorted to venturing through the woods with only the animals for company. Her four legged friends served as companions of a sort, but the dearth of human companionship created a void in her life she hadn't known was there until Snow hid in Granny's chicken coop. Once, Snow had remarked about how sheltered Ruby was, and though it embarrassed her, she couldn't refute the truth that she was a poor and backward girl who hadn't even tasted a cultivated strawberry until Granny made a little extra money the summer of her fifteenth year and had decided to splurge for them both. And though Regina had lived a very comfortable life relative to Ruby, she had suffered her own hardships as well.

It was due to this lack in their own childhoods Regina made a concerted effort to set aside time for such things with Henry, which Ruby wholeheartedly supported. And even though it meant they had to sacrifice time together to do so, as far as Ruby was concerned, the memories she gained from every single activity made it all worthwhile. Henry was worth it.

And besides, it wasn't as if it had been a secret that Regina was a package deal. Ruby had known going into things that a relationship with Regina meant sharing her life with Henry also. Under the Curse, the thought of joining a ready made family would have given her ample cause to run for the hills, but having since been a sideline observer to the complex but meaningful relationship between Henry and Regina, she found that the idea was not so distasteful as it once would have been. In fact, the challenge was one she had been prepared to accept, and had done so eagerly.

With the passage of time, she grew increasingly glad she had made that brave choice, especially since Henry turned out to be so much more fun than he was when she used to babysit him. That Henry had been withdrawn and sullen, still caught between his warring mothers. But as a young man who had at last found his place in the world, he lost enough of his introversion to extend his comfort zone for her sake, something she was more than glad to reciprocate.

Though Henry was a bookish boy who preferred reading his comics or playing video games to an afternoon traipsing through the woods, he accommodated Ruby's outgoing, adventurous side by accompanying her without complaint. In fact, most of the time he had just as much fun as she did, and in doing so learned that he was not quite so athletically hopeless as he had once thought himself to be.

At the same time, Ruby made sure to practice up on Henry's favorite video games and spent endless hours catching up on all the comics he was interested in so that she could engage him whenever she could by indulging in lengthy discussions about who the greatest Avenger was or by having marathon gaming sessions with him that lasted well beyond bedtime (which Regina would invariably chastise them both for, and Ruby in particular because she was the adult and ought to know better). It did not take long at all for Ruby to consider Henry a part of her pack, one of her own. She loved him with the same ferocity as she did his mother.

Still, despite the fact that she harbored no regrets about choosing a woman who already had a kid, after two weeks with no sex, she had accumulated a debt of ache that was screaming to be relieved. Her need for Regina that was always there, present but tolerable because they were together so often, now seemed to have grown nearly intolerable, serving as a source of distraction that she could not afford when going out on a call with Emma.

The entire purpose of her taking a second job was to save up for a very important purchase that she was deliberately keeping secret, but she had never imagined that it would nearly ruin her sex life. Yet it very nearly had. Weeks had passed since she was last intimate with Regina and she was starting to get desperate. That she had held out as long as she had was only because it was not a wholly unfamiliar feeling.

Even though Ruby had always run a little hot blooded (which Peter could have attested to had she not eaten him alive), while on the run with Snow, she was forced to learn how to deny herself for extended periods of time. Feeling as if she owed it to her friend to provide protection to the best of her ability, she set aside her own needs, a sacrifice that Snow could not have understood at the time being as pure as she was.

To compensate, Ruby would spend Wolf's Time running almost non-stop, hoping to burn off her desires through draining herself physically. While it worked for the most part, sometimes the pent up energy would accumulate to an extent that even running herself ragged during Wolf's Time could not fully expend it. In a comprise with herself, she developed casual relationships with a few understanding lovers over the years that she could visit when her needs became unbearable.

Apparently her healthy sexual appetite had translated through the Dark Curse to an extremely exaggerated degree that she would never be able to account for, resulting in Ruby Lucas, the town's resident slut. In Storybrooke, her cursed self was well known not only for her gaudy dress and contentious relationship with her grandmother, but also for her unbridled passions and crazy excesses during the days leading up to the full moon.

Usually during those days, Ruby wound up at The Rabbit Hole where she would proceed to drink herself into a stupor and then pick out the most attractive person she could find to go home with. On the occasions she could remember the events the next day, she would revel in her freedom and the memories of some very, very good sex, but more often than she liked to admit, upon waking the next day in some strange bed she would be unable to remember what had happened and would slink home in shame.

And though those urges remained when the Curse broke, Regina had very fortuitously cursed them into a land that was remarkably liberated and impressively inventive where sex was concerned. In the years that followed, Ruby managed to make due by taking care of the excessive tension on her own through leveraging those boons, but once she became intimate with Regina, such measure were no longer needed. Under the skilled diligence of the Queen, those urges fled to the background of her consciousness, no longer perpetually pressing in on her as they once did.

Unlike Ruby's other sexual partners, Regina was the kind of woman took care of her lover in every way possible, and to Ruby's delight, she plied her efforts in ways that Ruby had never imagined were possible. In Regina she had found an addiction from which she would never fully recover, as every touch was like fire upon her skin and every kiss from like oxygen, sparking up an inferno in her heart that never seemed to wane. A simple smile from Regina was adequate to fill Ruby with warmth from head to toe and one heated gaze from those dark, expressive brown eyes was enough to leave her jelly-legged and breathless with anticipation. Hell, just hearing the woman's voice all smoky and sultry could work Ruby up to the point of discomfort, even when passing through the sound distorting speaker of a phone. And the worst part was that the wicked temptress knew exactly what she was doing and enjoyed every moment of it.

But above all, far beyond how much Ruby desired and longed for her better half, she loved being loved by Regina. Never in her life had anyone loved her the way that Regina did, and as a matter of fact, she didn't believe it was humanly possible for anyone else to live up to the august standards her Queen had set. As such, Ruby considered herself practically ruined for anyone else, because no one else could give her what Regina could: fulfillment in body, mind, heart, and soul. The plain fact of the matter was that she needed Regina much more than Regina had ever needed her, and likely always would. And while she probably should not be okay with that, she was.

Thus the source her infinite frustration. Regina's love was her own personal slice of heaven and she had been denied it for far too long. The typically iron grip she kept on her temper was beginning to slip, so it was just a matter of time before she lost control of completely, and when factoring in the impending full moon in 2 days time with the fact that her working two jobs was a choice and not an absolute necessity, Ruby knew she wouldn't last much longer. If she wanted to prevent a total meltdown, she was going to have to find a way to spend more time together as a couple, for Regina's sake particularly, if not for her own.

The only saving grace of the present trial was Regina's remarkable patience, and really, Ruby could not have asked for more from her girlfriend. As she admirably tolerated the excessive time apart, Regina had also demonstrated enormous restraint in putting up with Ruby's increasingly erratic moods. It was a kindness Ruby would never forget, though she knew Regina deserved better. As it was, she hated that she was asking so much of her girlfriend, but were it not for how important her end goal was, she would have caved long ago. Now that she was so invested in her course of action, all she could do now was make things work however she could, whatever she had to do, and hope that Regina would not lose her patience altogether before it was over.

People had accused Ruby of being many things during her life, and she was many of things things, but she was no fool. It was increasingly obvious that Regina was beginning to grow tired of both the bristly behavior she was having to endure from Ruby and more specifically, the extended absences that were keeping them apart. As evidence of that fact, more and more often Ruby was finding herself on the receiving end of frightening glimpses into the Queen's legendary temper.

Life in Storybrooke and raising a child had taught Regina the very difficult lessons of patience, but even though she had changed since her days as the Evil Queen, Ruby knew that her girlfriend's volcanic anger always bubbled beneath the surface, ready to spill over at a moment's notice. Eruptions didn't happen very often, but when they did, Ruby typically got seared by the unbridled heat of Regina's rage. While enduring such assaults, she often thought that it was a good thing she was as tough and stubborn as Regina was, else she might have broken under some of the pointedly cruel barbs that Regina thrust her way. The fights never lasted for long, but they left an impression on Ruby that made her skittish when Regina was clearly teetering on the edge, which she had been the previous night.

Under normal circumstances, 11 pm would have been the time in which they would be snuggling up together in bed, but since the odd hours at the Station kicked in, Regina would typically spend a few minutes talking before Ruby headed off to work. Last night, however, had been far from typical. After receiving Granny's text, Ruby had flopped back into bed and dozed off once again, but was aroused by the sound of the bedroom door closing. Instead of being met with her girlfriend's lovingly patient smile, Ruby was met instead with a frigid and angry gaze that was very reminiscent of days gone by.

Hoping to avoid confrontation, Ruby tried to play the innocent victim card, but the gambit hadn't worked. Regina just stood there implacably, leveling her with that withering, patently lethal glare that could reduce steel to liquid and which never failed to twist her insides into knots.

"C'mon, Regina, don't be mad," she had whined with a sleep roughened voice, holding the covers up to her chest as if to shield herself from her girlfriend's very justified anger. "It's not as if I like this any more than you do. I want nothing more than to stay here with you tonight."

"Then why won't you?" was Regina's terse rejoinder.

Ruby just shrugged evasively as she tossed the covers aside and then swung her legs off the side of the bed. Fixing her eyes downward to avoid all eye contact, she toed the cold surface of the highly polished hardwood covering their bedroom floor, intent on continuing her prevarication. While she couldn't see the look that crossed Regina's face at the unsubtle deflection, she was not shielded from feeling Regina's eyes burning holes in the side of her head.

Truth be told, the circumvention was getting old for Ruby as well, but it was a necessary evil for at least another week. And yet she also knew that nothing outside of the whole truth would pacify Regina's discontented aggravation. Caught in what she felt was an impossible situation, she was reduced to forlorn acceptance to stay the course no matter how angry her girlfriend got. Having managed to keep her secret for this long, she was not about to give in so tantalizingly close to the finish line.

"You know I can't answer that right now," she had then sighed, running her hands through her hair which was pathetically messy from having fallen into bed without bothering to pull it into even a haphazard ponytail. "For the moment, I need this job, and I need for you to trust me when I say it's for a good reason."

When Ruby had finally chanced glancing up, Regina's face was twisted in barely restrained fury. The vein in her forehead prominently pulsated as an indication to the severity of her temper. Ruby was almost cowed by the sight into whimpering out a confession, but held back, reminding herself that the end goal was so close that she could almost touch it.

"Oh, please," Regina then spat, her dark eyes smoldering as if made of coal. "We both know we've no need of the additional income. It's not even necessary for you to work at the diner. I make more than enough to comfortably support our family."

Having lived with the woman for 3 years, Ruby had known Regina was baiting a reaction by pecking at a sore spot. Their wage disparity was something Ruby struggled with from time to time. While she was beyond happy with Regina and well-adjusted to their lifestyle, she was still human. Her pride compelled her to continue working lest she feel like a mooch or even worse, a kept woman. Sadly, the comment worked as intended.

Ruby found herself almost growling as she shot off the bed to stand in front of Regina. Almost in her face, she then shot back, "That's not the point and you damn well know it!"

The stress and guilt of her secret had temporarily eaten away at her reserves of control, resulting in an outburst that was as idiotic as it was brave. Though confident in Regina's abiding love, Ruby had not forgotten the Queen who lived somewhere inside her, and no matter how tolerant Regina was with those she loved, the Queen was not someone to be trifled with. In that moment Ruby had realized that she was closer to standing before Queen Regina than she had been in over 30 years.

Upon her subsequent realization of her position and of the way she had spoken, she clamped back down on her emotions tightly. Regina, however, was still feeling confrontational.

"I do know that!" was the almost shouted response. Regina then paused to take in a deep breath as she pinched the bridge of her nose between the thumb and index finger of her left hand. Letting it drop, she regarded Ruby with a mountain of hurt in her eyes that did not belong to the Queen at all, but to a confused and worried woman who did not understand why her partner was pulling away from her. Seeing it up close filled Ruby with inexpressible shame. "I both recognize _and_ respect your need to be active and productive," she then went on. "That's why I hold my peace...to accommodate you. But honestly, Ruby, what you're doing right now is ridiculous. My patience is wearing thin."

Ruby hadn't known what to say, so she had stood there like the idiot that she was, pleading for understanding through liquid green eyes. Regina had merely shook her head in resignation, sighing heavily as she moved over to the bed and plopped down on the corner of the mattress.

"You say to trust you, Ruby, and I do. That is all I've done for the past 3 years," she added after a moment, her voice inflected with a sad resignation that revealed the depth of her sadness and weariness. Ruby's heart clenched knowing she was the cause of it all. And then Regina looked up at her with tears in her eyes. "I love you, but you've got to consider things from my perspective. Our life together is...has been _so_ good. You make me happy every single day, unbelievably so in fact. I thought we had reached a place in our relationship that I didn't think it possible for me to arrive at with _anyone_.

"But then, out of the blue, you mysteriously _need_ to take a second job. You won't tell me why, and you're being evasive whenever I remotely press you about it. We barely get to see each other anymore other than the weekends and the goodbye kisses as we pass each other like ships in the night. We haven't made love in weeks, Ruby, so what am I supposed to think? Because I feel like I'm losing you and I really don't want this to be going the direction that I'm afraid it is."

Upon deciphering Regina's subtle implications, Ruby had blanched. "No. No, no, no!" she blurted out as she scrambled over to her downtrodden girlfriend, half-panicked at the intimation that she was hiding an affair. Gingerly kneeling down before Regina, Ruby knitted their fingers together. "Please, don't think that! I'd never cheat on you. _Never_. You believe that, don't you?"

Regina did not answer audibly, but rather looked at Ruby with pain-laden eyes that were now swimming with tears. Clearly she had been trying to rein in her emotions but was having little success, and the struggle rent at her resolve.

At that moment, Ruby felt as low as perhaps she ever had since the day she had slaughtered a helpless Peter. That, however, had been very much involuntary while her current situation was by choice, and that had made it so much worse. No one had forced her down the path she was taking. She had chosen it freely, and in doing so hurt the one person she loved more than anything and anyone else in the world. It ate her up inside knowing that her voluntary actions had caused the love of her life to feel so insecure as to doubt her fidelity. And considering Regina's very understandable trust issues, the duplicity was doubly affecting.

After placing lingering kisses on each of Regina's hands, Ruby gazed up at the person her heart beat for, baring her soul through her expression and willing Regina to recognize the depths of her feelings.

"There's no one else, Regina," she had earnestly declared. "I love you, and only you, with all of my heart and all of my soul. I swear it by my very life. I could _never_ love anyone else after having been loved by you. You're it for me. This job is temporary, but this?" She gestured between herself and her distraught girlfriend. "Us? I want us to be forever. I'm in this for the long haul, so please believe me when I say that I will make this right. One more week and I promise it'll be over. Just be patient with me for a little while longer. Do you think you can do that?"

Regina had looked at her with a measure of hesitance in her eyes that Ruby had not witnessed in a very, very long time, which made her quite deservedly feel like the world's biggest heel.

"Only one more week?" Regina asked, her tone inflected with hope, though it remained skeptical.

Nodding enthusiastically, Ruby replied: "One more week, then I'll be back to the boring old waitress you know and love."

In response, Regina had worried her lip adorably and then nodded in acceptance. She sniffled as she wiped at her eyes.

"You're never boring, dear." Though the smile on her face was a weak one, Ruby clung to it for all she was worth. She was living on hope lately, so she needed all she could get. "But, I think I can do that," Regina then said, giving a sharp nod. "One more week, but that's it. After that, things have to change."

Instead of replying, Ruby slowly leaned in, giving Regina time to decide if she was amenable to acts of affection at the moment. To her pleasant surprise, there was no hesitation to her advance, and they shared a sweet, fulfilling kiss that made the tips of her ears tingle. But as she had tilted her head to deepen it, her cellphone inopportunely chimed.

Forced to part from Regina, Ruby gave a groan of utter frustration. After giving her girlfriend an apologetic smile, she then stood and retrieved her phone from the nightstand. Upon glancing down at the text on the screen, she groaned yet again.

"It's Emma."

Regina sighed loudly through her nose and averted her eyes. "You had better hurry up then. You don't want to keep Miss Swan waiting."

Unwilling to part with things still so tentative between them, Ruby took Regina's hand and knelt before her girlfriend once more. Biting her lip with worry, she studied Regina's eyes, finding them shuttered off. It worried her. "Are we okay?" she asked, not bothering to hide her fear.

"Yes, we're okay," Regina answered after a deep breath through her nostrils. Though her face was a bit less strained and more open, her tone reflected a latent wariness that would take time to fade. It made Ruby a bit wary to leave with things as they were, but she reminded herself that in a weeks time, everything would get better. Or so she hoped. "Just be careful and get plenty of rest tomorrow afternoon. As you know, it's Henry's weekend with Miss Swan and I have plans for us. I'd hate for you to be too worn out to enjoy them."

Grinning at the innuendo, Ruby leaned in for another lingering kiss before sauntering over to the bathroom to get changed. Lingering in the doorway, she turned back for one moment. "Wouldn't miss it for the world." With a parting wink, she then moved into the bathroom to get ready for work.

About fifteen minutes later, Ruby emerged to find Regina curled up on her side, the covers drawn up to her neck. The deep, even rhythm of her breathing told Ruby she was sleeping, but it was anything but peaceful judging by the telling creases of stress that were prominently displayed on her forehead. Even in her sleep, Regina was worrying about her, and although Ruby was aware that stressing to the extreme was a part Regina's nature, knowing that did nothing to alleviate her guilt.

Unable to curtail the re-emergence of her self-loathing, Ruby lingered at the foot of the bed. Sure, they had sort of hashed things out for the moment, and Ruby believed that Regina still trusted her, but she hated the continued secrecy, particularly knowing how badly secrets had hurt Regina in the past.

Still, the temporary pain they were both being put through was not without reason. There was an underlying purpose, a lofty goal driving her actions, one which Ruby hoped would prove to be worth the mess she had made of things. It was with that thought in mind that she was at last able to force herself to move. She set out for her shift at the Station soon after.

As she drove through town, Ruby had prayed for an easy night, but sadly fate had other plans. Although Emma's text had told her to hurry up, Ruby had just figured that her friend and co-worker was bored and wanting for company, which was nothing unusual of late. Things had been relatively quiet at the station during Ruby's tenure there. In fact, there hadn't been any major problems in Storybrooke for almost a year, not since Jafar had escaped his prison and managed to worm his way into Storybrooke searching for Will Scarlet.

Aside from external threats, Storybrooke was a relatively small town, so there was not a lot of crime committed that warranted lengthy investigations. As was par for the course with any population of human beings, there was petty crime here and there, but because Emma was very good at her job, it was dealt with rather expeditiously. And with Ruby's keen senses now at her disposal, the speed at which they caught criminals had only increased. Somewhat unfortunately that often left a Sheriff and her deputy with very little to do.

As such, it had been well within the realm of likelihood that Emma's text was merely a product of her boredom. In fact, it wouldn't have surprised Ruby at all if Emma had been reduced to playing trashketball while waiting for her to come in to work so she would have someone to talk to. While it would have annoyed Ruby that her moment with Regina was interrupted by Emma's lack of self-control, almost anything would have been better than what followed.

From the moment she walked through the glass doors of the Station, her already inauspicious day was immediately worsened by an order of magnitude. As soon as she entered the building, her ears had been assaulted by a sound so obnoxious it could only have one source: Leroy and his cohorts. Surely enough, he and half the other dwarves were in cells, drunk as skunks and rowdy after a night at the bar to celebrate Doc's hatching day.

Inside the confines of the station the outrageous noises produced by shouting, agitated, angry, and inebriated dwarves was nearly deafening, which explained why Emma was literally banging her head against her desk in exasperation when Ruby came in. The sight would have been comical if the cacophony of 4 drunken dwarves was not so maddening to her extra sensitive ears. As it was, there was no humor to be found in the situation.

For nearly two hours after that, they had been forced to listen to the seemingly endless arguing. Nothing worked to quiet the dwarves, and they had tried every conceivable tactic, including resorting to threats of additional of jail time and implicating impending physical violence. Ruby had even not-so-subtly implied that she was about to unleash her alter ego if they didn't shut the hell up. It was all to no avail. The dwarves continued cursing and arguing for over an hour without interruption until they suddenly and mercifully passed out.

Grateful for the reprieve, she and Emma shared an impromptu celebratory dance, prancing enthusiastically though quietly about the Station in a bout of immaturity that would have had Regina's eyes rolling in haughty disgust. But the victory was short lived, for soon thereafter the snoring started. Now, the sound of one dwarf snoring was enough to rattle a sane person, but the simultaneous snores of four drunken dwarves was utterly intolerable. The ungodly nature of the racket had both women pulling at their hair before Emma regained enough of her wits to suggest they put in earplugs.

And then about 30 minutes later, an emergency call came in. After that, things got serious in a hurry. As it turned out, someone had robbed the new 24/7 convenience store that a man named Cienzo had built after being brought over in Snow's much tamer version of the Dark Curse. The robber had shot the night manager, Evan Waters, and then fled the scene. Because Emma needed Ruby to investigate with her, she had been forced to call her father in to watch the Station and the unconscious dwarves held inside.

The 10 hours that followed after arriving at the scene were long and tedious. The crime scene was fairly grizzly as far as crime scenes go in Storybrooke. In addition to the shattered glass panes of the storefront, the entire area of the cash register was in complete disarray and there was blood all over the counter and puddled on the floor behind it where Waters had fallen. Whoever had robbed the store had only taken as much food as a they could carry, leaving behind all the money in the till and several isles full of discarded wrappers and broken jars. The evidence led Emma to the initial conclusion that it was the work of a desperate amateur, which would later be proven as accurate.

After collecting all of the evidence, Ruby put her wolf senses to work and began sniffing out the offender's scent in order to track his movements as best she could. A tiresome search ensued which lead them all over Storybrooke. The shooter had taken an extremely convoluted route through town that cut through darkened alleyways, avoided areas of high activity, and eventually lead them through a couple of sparsely populated neighborhoods. The intelligently planned route revealed that the perpetrator was both practiced at remaining hidden and adept operating in the shadows.

The search itself wound up taking almost 7 hours, as they were required to interview every possible witness along the way. As suspected, no one had seen anything. Eventually though, the trail Ruby was tracking lead them to an old abandoned farmhouse about half a mile from Zelena's place.

When they arrived there were signs of squatting everywhere around the property, which indicated that someone had been living there for quite some time. The well lived in state of the house blindsided both Ruby and Emma since they both had assumed that the Merry Men were keeping a loose watch on the area. Still, since the place was in a very remote location, they were able reconciled their surprise rather quickly.

After searching the house and finding nothing, their last hope was the storm cellar much like the one on Zelena's property in which she had kept Rumplestiltskin captive. When they breached it, they found their culprit. To their equal shock and dismay, it turned out to be a young boy no older than 10 or 11, painfully scrawny, dirty, and bedraggled, with tattered clothes, dirt-smudged skin, and sad, old, world-weary eyes. It had not been easy on either Ruby or Emma to arrest him, but they had no choice since it was clear he had committed the crime by the blood on his clothes and the discarded food wrappers all around the cellar. Seeing as he was just a kid, though, they took him in as gently as possible.

When they got the kid back to the station and began to question him, he folded with little resistance. It was understandable. He was scared and tired and all alone. As he related his story, Ruby was nearly reduced to tears, and she could tell that it was having an even greater effect on Emma.

They boy's name was Christopher and he was a former Lost Boy who came to Storybrooke after the affair in Neverland. One night while Pan was distracted he had managed to sneak away from camp. After making his way to the dock where Hook had anchored the Jolly Roger, he hid below decks, secretly stowing away until the party returned victorious.

Once the ship had docked in Storybrooke, Christopher waited two days before disembarking to avoid capture and slipped away into the forest as quickly as he could. He had been in hiding ever since. As the days, weeks, months, and years passed, the kid had somehow managed to scrape and claw out a living on his own by stealing and scrounging for his basic necessities. In the process of relating his woeful tale, he admitted to squatting at several other locations before he stumbled across the abandoned farmhouse about six months ago.

As far as the shooting went, Christopher explained that at that point, he hadn't eaten in a week and was desperate. During one of his initial excursions about the farmhouse, he had discovered a gun hidden underneath a loose floor panel in the bedroom, and that day he had taken it with him on impulse, not expecting to use it.

No one had been at the counter when he arrived at the store, so he went about stealing as much food as he could carry. He hadn't known that Waters was merely in the back doing inventory, so when the man returned to the front, he interrupted the theft and sprang at the boy. Out of a desperate instinct of self-preservation, Christopher had reacted and shot him. Scared out of his mind, he gathered up the food and bolted.

It was at times such as hearing Christopher's story that Ruby did not envy Emma's career choice. The job of catching criminals was hard enough when dealing with wicked people, but when it came to cases like that of a stowaway Lost Boy just trying to survive, it was tough to garner any sense of satisfaction at pursuing justice. In such situations, justice seemed like such a subjective term that it lost potency.

As far as Emma was concerned, she seemed to deal with the difficulties well for the most part, though that incessant pain in her eyes never went away. Emma's personal experiences during her childhood had colored nearly every interaction with the boy, and it hurt Ruby to see her friend go through such turmoil and be unable to help.

Over the years, Emma had confided a lot of things to Ruby, but even as close as they became she remained closed off about her time in the foster system. She had bravely tried to remain detached as Christopher related his heartbreaking version of events, but there was no hiding the depth of her sympathy for the boy. After all, Emma knew firsthand the pain and loneliness that could drive a person to such extreme acts of desperation.

And though neither of them wanted to punish Christopher for acting on pure instinct, their hand was forced. As unintentional as it was and as understandable as the kid's motives were, he had shot a man, and because of that was facing severe consequences. The only positive about the situation was that the night manager made it through surgery, thus things were not compounded.

After the questioning was concluded, Emma, Ruby, and David convened to discuss at length what course to take. The conversation that followed was highly uncomfortable for them all. Having understood that while Christopher had certainly done something terribly wrong, what had happened to him was almost equally horrible. So the question they wrestled with was how could such a young kid be punished for something largely beyond his control? Christopher had not been asked to be abducted by Pan's Shadow, hadn't asked to be kept against his will in Neverland so long that his family was long since dead. Christopher was a victim every bit as much as Evan Waters, if not even more so. It was wrong that he had been put in the position he was in the first place and seemed equally as wrong to condemn him for being a casualty of his own circumstances. As Granny loved to tell Ruby after an inappropriate reaction to something bad happening, "two wrongs don't make a right, girl." Colloquial wisdom was Granny's specialty, but in Christopher's case, it seemed especially relevant.

Unfortunately, beyond their shared sympathy for the boy, there was no consensus to be found, for it seemed there was no good solution available to the dilemma they had been presented with. There was, however, a less savory solution that David brought up. Due to the indisputable fact that Storybrooke lacked the proper facilities and resources to truly help the kid, and since the barrier around the town was safely permeable, the option was available to send him away to a state juvenile facility.

"What would happen to him then, though?" Emma had pointedly asked. After letting the point sink in for a few moments, she then went on to remind them that the world outside of Storybrooke could be cold, cruel, and merciless to an orphaned child, a painful allusion to her own personal familiarity with both the foster and criminal justice systems. As such, that option had seemed almost unconscionable, yet no viable alternatives were presenting themselves.

Ruby had recognized as time wore on with no clear answers that this was a case that required input outside of the three of them. At her suggestion, they had agreed to directly address the town council in an attempt to seek better localized solutions for non-law abiding citizens of the town, such as a penitentiary and a rehabilitation program for juvenile youth. For now, however, they decided that the only palatable option for Christopher was for him to go back to the farmhouse where Will Scarlett and the Merry Men could watch over him, so having thus decided, they immediately contacted Will and Little John who both agreed to take the boy into temporary custody.

And that was how Ruby currently found herself sadly observing as David shepherded Christopher out the door of the station to deliver him to his custodians. The former Lost Boy had already looked pitiful when he had been arrested, but as David lead him out of the Station, he looked less like a terrified kid and more like the condemned walking the last terrible paces toward an inevitable doom. The tragedy of the situation in that moment was suffocating.

So no, it was most definitely not a good day for Ruby.

For a long time after David had departed with Christopher in tow, the station was engulfed with a weighty silence. With a deep frown marring on her features, Emma sat morosely behind her desk, slouching back heavily in her chair as she absently fiddled with a pen. As for herself, Ruby was leaning over Emma's desk with her head in her hands, lost in her own dark thoughts. Even the dwarves – who had awakened during the deliberations – stayed quiet out of respect for the tragedy they had just witnessed. After all, no one with a heart could enjoy a kid's suffering.

Minutes passed during which no one dared to speak. At such times, it only seemed appropriate to Ruby to take stock of her own life, to weigh her own choices and count her own blessings in the face of such human suffering. On the whole, she hoped her ledger was in the black, but sometimes she doubted it. No one really knew just how much blood she had on her hands because it was something she much preferred to forget.

Most of her friends knew of her calamitous discovery of her condition and of the battles she fought at Snow's side, but few were aware of the scores of men she had slain during her occasional week long sojourns during Wolf's Time. Despite learning control from her mother, the bloodlust she felt as the wolf never completely left. It was always there in the back of her mind, lurking in the mind of her counterpart, ready to be unleashed at a moments notice. More than once while trekking through the vast forests of the realm, she had willingly given into the wolf upon spotting a patrol of Black Knights, attacking without provocation and exulting in the experience of tearing a dozen or more men apart with little effort.

Ruby was far from the innocent victim most believed her to be, and she wondered at times if she deserved the happiness she now had. Most of the time Regina (who was the only person aware of Ruby's indiscretions as the wolf) was there to comfort her, but that was not the case at present. Without Regina there to remind her that life just sucked sometimes, it was easy to lament the injustice that existed in the world that could conspire to see an innocent like Christopher fall under judgment for what he had done out of desperation when Ruby remained free of condemnation for crimes she had willingly committed. Guilt clawed at her throat.

But then the shrill ringing of the phone cut through the silence, causing Ruby to nearly jump out of her skin due to the tense aura pervading the room. And as her eyes snapped up, she saw Emma had reacted in a similar manner.

"Hello?" Emma answered tightly without preamble upon picking up the receiver. She then listened intently for a moment, after which her brow deeply furrowed. "Dr. Lord? What's going on?"

Ruby's ears perked up at the name of the caller. Dr. Lord was a resident at Storybrooke General. He was an eccentric young man with legendary mood swings that lead many to believe that he was bipolar, but for all of his eccentricity, he was a very intelligent doctor whom Victor believed would some day make a fine surgeon.

Because Ruby could not hear the conversation between Emma and the doctor (out of her wolf form, her senses were heightened, but even those had their limits sometimes, particularly when she was so exhausted), so she watched curiously as several emotions worked their way through Emma's face at whatever was being said. It began with confusion and then transitioned into shock before Emma suddenly recoiled in abject horror.

At first, Ruby thought it might be about the night manager, Evan Waters, and dreading the disaster that would inevitably follow she worried that he might have unexpectedly died. Even more so, she hated the thought of having to break that news to Christopher. But then Emma glanced nervously and worriedly in her direction, which prompted an immediate tightening in her throat and chest. Whatever Dr. Lord had said, it wasn't good.

"Yes, I understand. We'll be there in five minutes," Emma then replied to Dr. Lord. In an instant, her expression grew almost thunderous. "Listen to me. Are you listening? Good. You do everything you can. Whatever it takes, you save her! You save her life, Doctor, even if you have to call in the cavalry, and if you don't know what that means, talk to Whale. Yes. _Yes!_ Goodbye."

Ruby blanched and gripped the arms of her chair until her knuckles turned white and the metal strained in protest. There were only two women whose harm could cause such reaction in Emma and she didn't want to consider either option.

"Dammit!" Emma suddenly shouted, slamming the phone down on it's cradle, which jolted from the violence of the impact. Ruby jumped out of her chair as Emma then snatched a stapler from her desk and in one fluid motion stood and hurled it across the room with all of her might. It smashed into a framed painting of the town hall, shattering the glass and knocking the frame to the floor. In the nearby cells, the dwarves all yelled obscenities as they scattered for cover.

Seeing such an uncharacteristically violent reaction from her friend had Ruby fighting panic.

"Emma, what's wrong? What's going on?" she asked frantically.

When Emma looked up at her, her eyes were filled with an apologetic devastation that made it very easy for Ruby to translate the meaning. As it registered in her brain, her head started swimming and her throat constricted even more painfully than before. Unable to hold herself up, she collapsed heavily into her chair.

"No!" she gasped, clutching desperately at her chest. Her eyes sought out Emma's, imploring for her deduction to be corrected. "Please, Emma, no. Oh God, _please_!"

No correction came. Instead, Emma's face crumbled as her hand flew to her mouth to smother a choked sob. Ruby looked on helplessly as her friend struggled to compose herself. Several agonizing seconds passed before the Savior suddenly straightened, reining in her emotions, something Ruby knew she had learned to do as a child.

"I'm so sorry Ruby, but we don't have time," she said with a trembling voice as she grabbed her keys, badge, and gun off the desk. She then stood and looked pointedly at Ruby, her face poker straight but her green eyes radiating intense waves of distress. "We need to go...right now. Something's happened to Regina."

With those words, Ruby's world teetered dangerously off axis. She sat there dumbly for a time, having understood Emma's words, but unable to process them into actions. Prevented from speaking due her throat finally closing up completely, she could only nod numbly to indicate she had heard what Emma said.

After a moment of numb shock, Emma approached to gently grasp her hand, helping to pull her up out of the chair. With an arm around her shoulders, Emma then proceed to guide Ruby towards the door of the Station, and though she remained silent as she was lead toward the door, inside the screaming confines of her mind the wolf began to howl in misery.


	5. Don't Lose It!

**Notes:** Here we are with another chapter. In the interest of readability I decided to divide this one into two chapters. Hopefully that helps. I'm aware that the previous chapters may have been a bit too thick, as it were. Anyway, thank you all for the favs, follows, and reviews, and thank you for reading. Every bit of support is greatly appreciated. Enjoy! Next one up sometime before next Tuesday for sure.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Also, please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately so I can correct them; you will be doing me a great service!

 **Chapter 4** – Don't Lose It!

Once outside the Sheriff's Station, Ruby was hit by a gust of icy air so sharp that it stole the breath from her lungs. Lurching forward, she grasped at the center of her chest, hoping to quell the sucking sensation that suddenly formed there. As if her very future were swirling inexorably around a metaphorical drain, she felt powerless to prevent the calamity that would ensue upon being so thoroughly wasted. Overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, she began to tremble uncontrollably, and as she fell sway to the magnetic grip of a swiftly encroaching sense of panic, Ruby dimly recognized that she was in danger of going into shock.

Paralyzed by a foreboding sense of dread, she could do little more than stare at Emma in a silent plea for help. Though her friend had been able to master her emotions in the midst of this latest crisis, Ruby was finding such discipline currently beyond her reach. With the love of her life in mortal peril, rationality was not an option, for with each fearful second that passed in which she remained ignorant of Regina's status, control over her emotions became increasingly fragile.

Having apparently intuited the state Ruby was in, Emma pressed in closer and adjusted her grip around Ruby's shoulders to lend further strength. It was a good thing, too. Ruby was not sure her legs could withstand supporting her weight much longer, even on a walk as short as the one between the station and Emma's Bug.

Under the Savior's careful guidance, Ruby was lead in a mechanical step-by-step manner across the parking lot. The cautious, watchful manner Emma was utilizing made Ruby feel very much like a child learning to walk whose parents did not trust her to not hurt herself. Judging by the reaction her body was having to present circumstances and with her mind in a haze of confused anguish, it was probably wise of Emma to treat her that way.

When they reached the Bug an indeterminate amount of time later (it could have been 2 minutes and it could have been 10, Ruby was not really sure; she had lost her grasp of time to that same soul-sucking void that was retarding her ability to think clearly), Emma gently eased her into the passenger seat and then strapped her in, still acting more like a concerned mother than a friend.

For Ruby, not much registered over the next few minutes as Emma took her own seat, started up her vehicle and then hastily pulled out of the parking lot. Once they were speeding through the streets of Storybrooke, Ruby leaned her head against the cool glass window of the passenger side and tried to focus on anything concrete that would take her mind off of the wild conjectures running rampant through her mind, prominently such as Regina bleeding out in a cold and impersonal hospital room.

Allowing her eyes to rove over the scenery, she watched storefronts and lampposts pass by in a blur, sitting in numbed silence as Emma skillfully and efficiently drove them to the hospital. As the sound of the tires screaming over the newly paved road filled her ears, she closed her eyes in an attempt to clear away the fog that was settling in over her brain. Almost immediately an image popped upon behind the veil of her lids, one she had been trying to prevent. It was an imagining of her own broken expression and tear stained visage while hovering over Regina's cold, pale, and startlingly lifeless body, which lay upon a slab in the morgue. The morbid vision hit Ruby square in the chest, causing her eyes to pop open as her breath began to hitch in her lungs.

Ruby knew she was starting to hyperventilate, but as she began to lose herself to the debilitating mania of her worst nightmare come to pass, Emma reached out her free hand. Even though Ruby was nearly paralyzed by fear, her instincts kicked in, and her hand shot into the gap between the seats to grasp Emma's hand. Once it found purchase, she clutched to the offered appendage so tightly that she saw Emma wince out of the corner of her eye. Ruby would have apologized if she thought she could manage speaking comprehensible words.

"C'mon, hang in there, Rubes," Emma then said from the driver's seat, her eyes still on the road as she delicately balanced the duties of driving with keeping Ruby anchored to reality. "I don't know much, but I know she was alive when they brought her in. She's alive. Hang on to that, okay? Just hang on to that and don't let go."

Taking several deep breaths, Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and began to chant to herself, "She's alive. She's alive. She's alive." As she did so, she felt Emma begin to rub soothing circles on the back of her hand, and the action – boosted by her fervent mantra – proved surprisingly successful. Feeling some of her anxiety wane, Ruby nodded both to herself and to Emma. "Okay, okay," she then breathed in response to Emma. "You're right. I've got to keep it together."

"For Regina," Emma affirmed, glancing over very briefly before returning her eyes to the extremely critical task of driving. "She needs you to stay strong for her. She's counting on you, Ruby."

Ruby nodded again, this time in a more dour manner. Chastising herself for her weakness, she slumped against the passenger door. After berating herself half a dozen times, it finally began to sink in as to what was happening. Regina was fighting for her life, and there was nothing she could do about it. All that she could do was to remain strong, to be ready to support Regina through whatever recovery awaited her after Victor saved her life, because that's what was going to happen. That's what _had_ to happen. Regina dying was not an option. It couldn't be. First of all, the woman was too damn stubborn to die, but mostly, she had lived through too much to have her life cut so tragically short. Fate was cruel and without mercy, but surely even so impersonal a force could recognize when a person deserved a break, and if anyone deserved a break, it was Regina. She had worked too hard for her happiness to have it all taken so unfairly away now.

At last overcome, Ruby allowed her tears to freely flow, and in order to prevent herself from moaning or screaming in sorrow for Regina, she bit her lip until it drew blood. Because her emotions were all over the place, along with the fact that her self-control was precarious at the moment, she found it extraordinarily difficult to keep hold of the brief moment of steadiness Emma had afforded her, yet she knew that somehow, whatever it took, she had to rein herself in. Emma was right, she needed to be strong right now, and not only for Regina's sake but for Henry as well, who was sure to be distraught at what had happened to his mother.

With the startlingly rapid onset of another careening train of negative thoughts, Ruby attempted to restore herself to an even keel by repeating what had worked earlier. Doubling down on her grip to Emma's hand, she restarted her rhythmic internalized chanting, battling to stave off irrationality for a while longer, and as she lost herself to the repetitive nature of the affirmation, the short distance between the Sheriff's Station and the Hospital was traversed as if in moments.

Before Ruby could ever recover from her own mind, they were pulling up to Storybrooke General, and not long thereafter that Emma's yellow Bug screeched to an abrupt halt in front of the entrance. The instant they were stopped, Ruby's haze disappeared. After hurriedly unstrapping herself, she bolted from the car as if propelled by a coiled spring and then hurtled recklessly toward the hospital entrance. As she crossed the short distance, she heard Emma yell for her to hold up but ignored the calls. The urgency to get to Regina was overruling all sense. Continuing forward with a sudden rush of adrenaline, she made it to the entryway in seconds.

After bursting through the doors of the hospital, Ruby was greeted by a kind of pandemonium she had never seen before in the small town emergency room. Voices were raised in frenzied communication as the squeaking of rubber soles echoed off the walls, and even though she could source the voices as emanating from behind the closed door of the emergency surgical unit, Ruby could hear them very clearly.

As she took in the scene, a nurse rushed into the operating ward carrying several bags of blood as another carried out a small plastic bag of effects to deposit at the front desk. With her keen eyesight, Ruby could make out the triangular shape of Regina's necklace in bag. She gasped at the carmine fluid staining the pendant and chain, but before Ruby even had time to adequately process what that meant, she heard Victor's voice yelling out commands as he worked to stabilize his patient, and she could also hear the depressed, irregular beeping of the monitors that were tracking the person's heartbeat.

Ruby took a deep breath of semi-relief as she focused on the sounds which told her that her girlfriend was still alive. Along with the reemergence of hope from the fog of panic she'd been existing in came a relief from tension that allowed her to relax just enough to begin believing that everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately, it did not last, for only a heartbeat later the pervasive smell of blood – Regina's blood – slammed into her, and with the brute force of an industrial hydraulic stamper.

The moment it hit her, Ruby reeled back and her stomach began to churn. As her chest began to painfully constrict once more, her earlier panic returned with a vengeance. Scrambling over to the nearest trash can, she retched so violently that she both felt and heard her jaw pop. Through the vicious wave of sickness she was absently aware of Emma's hand on her back, rubbing large circular patterns there as Ruby emptied what was left of her lunch into the waste and then began to painfully dry heave over and over again. The gesture, while meant to bring comfort, accomplished very little in the way of it, although Ruby was cognizant enough to at least appreciate the effort.

When the episode was over a minute or so later, Ruby staggered backward only to collide against Emma's chest, for instead of stepping away, Emma pressed in closer and then wound her strong and very capable arms protectively around Ruby's stomach. Once again without needing to be told, she was actively working for Ruby's benefit, having somehow understood that she needed reassurance from someone she loved and trusted. It was a show of friendship the likes of which rivaled anything Snow had ever done for her.

"Shh, I've got you," Emma cooed, her voice smooth and silky and laden with dulcet tones of compassion that were almost on an intimate level. Resting her chin on Ruby's shoulder, she then pressed her temple into a tear stained cheek. "It's gonna be okay, babe. Shh. I've got you. I've got you, just relax."

Leaning back into Emma, Ruby moaned. "I can't! Her blood, it's everywhere!" Her voice grew louder and louder as her tentative grip on self-control slipped ever-further away. "I can smell it. It's too much. Too much blood. Regina's blood. _So_ much blood! Oh, my God. Oh, God! Oh... _Gaah_!"

Without warning, pain tore through Ruby's body like the sudden jabbing of a million daggers, causing her to wrench herself from Emma's arms with a shout. As she doubled over groaning, Ruby felt with her peripheral senses that Emma very wisely began to back away, probably having recognized what was happening. The wolf, tired of being relegated to the background, was clawing her way to the surface, viciously scratching and gnawing against the prison of her mind in a demand for release.

As she struggled to hold her alter ego back, the intention behind the aggression leaked through the thin mystical membrane that kept wolf and woman separate. In a haze of red images, each more violently macabre than the next, it suddenly becoming clear that the wolf was being steadily consumed by the compulsion to hunt down the person who had dared to attack her mate, after which she would then gleefully tear them limb from limb. The intensity of the vengeful feelings were so savage that they were suffocating the human part of Ruby, the part that understood the necessity for law and order to prevail in the situation, no matter how personal it was. And the more the wolf gained strength, the more she felt herself being pulled under by the seductive desires being projected.

Pulse beginning to pound violently, Ruby soon found herself lusting for the perpetrator's blood with nearly the same fervency as the wolf. An unbidden fantasy began to emerge as to what it would feel like to have her prey trapped under her weight. With her legs pinning their arms down, she would press her hands down around their neck and begin to squeeze, not letting up until vertebrae begin to pop and crumble under her fingertips.

It was almost euphoric to merely imagine watching the light fade from the eyes of so vile an example of humanity, so she could guess as to how transcendental the rapture would be in reality. To be honest, it frightened her how much she wanted her little vision to come to pass, and without having to ask, she instinctively knew that her eyes had began to glow that eerie yellow that sent both friend and foe alike scurrying for cover. The wolf was now just underneath the top layer of her skin, almost at the surface and ready to take control should her control slip even a fraction of a degree further.

Glancing up at Emma who had stepped around to try and calm her down, Ruby's instincts were confirmed by the unusual fear she witnessed in her friend's eyes. The sheer volume of trepidation Emma was displaying startled Ruby down to her bones.

Emma Swan was literally the bravest person Ruby had ever met. Of all the heroes from the Enchanted Forest, none could stand beneath the gargantuan shadow she cast. And although Emma had been prophesied to be the Savior, in the end, she had become so much more. She was, in Ruby's opinion, the embodiment of a hero.

After all, the woman had come to town not knowing what she was facing and had stood toe to toe with the biggest baddest bitch in all of New England, fearlessly shrugging off threats and shrewdly one upping the manipulative mayor of Storybrooke all along the way. Regina would never admit it, but it was Emma's courageousness, her utter lack of concern as to what Regina could do to her, that impressed the former Queen into eventually becoming her friend. That was the kind of woman Emma was. She lead by example and inspired people to follow her, to care for her, much like her mother.

Hell, even after the Curse broke and supernatural threats from Ogres to Giants to Cora to Pan began to take the place of ordinary ones, Emma did not show the fear and anxiety that troubled most if not all of the other so-called heroes. It was as if she were some kind of warrior mage out of a modern fantasy novel, wielding sword and magic to defeat her enemies, always emerging victorious, even through seemingly impossible odds. Emma Swan did not quake in her boots over anything, so to see her so openly afraid, and not only at Ruby but for her, was deeply disturbing.

"Ruby, please," Emma said in an imploring tone, having obviously recognized how dire the situation was. In a show of good faith, her hands were raised in surrender, hoping to appeal to the woman rather than the wolf. "Regina is fighting for her life right now!" The unwitting verbalization of Ruby's earlier thought did little to ease the struggle. Her eyes rolled back in her skull as the wolf pressed more ferociously against her imaginary cage. "You can't afford to lose control like this," the Savior then added. "She needs you here!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Ruby barked back, straining against the lancing shards of pain all over her body that came along with fighting off a transformation. Influenced as she was by the wolf, she noted that her voice was much deeper than normal and quite menacing. "I'm trying...to hold...her back!"

In response to Emma's ensuing step toward her, Ruby growled, the veins in her neck bulging with the enormous effort required to restrain the wolf.

"C'mon, fight it!" Emma urged, crouching down to meet Ruby's eyes when she bent back over in pain. "You can do it! I believe in you and so does Regina. Breathe, Ruby, breathe. Just breathe for me. _Please_."

"It's so...hard," Ruby groaned, struggling to get out the words as she continued to fight. "I don't...wanna change. I wanna...be here. But she...wants...blood."

Emma held her ground, resolute in both expression and posture. "I know it is, but you have to keep breathing. Just think about Regina, happy and safe at home, and keep on breathing. In and out. In and out. Picture her in your mind. Can you see her?"

After taking in an enormous breath of air and allowing it to slowly release, Ruby closed her eyes and did as Emma directed, conjuring up a memory of Regina. It was the morning after their first night officially living together, and it was very early when they woke. The sun had barely been peaking over the horizon, so the room was only dimly illuminated, lending a warm orange hue to an already perfect morning.

For a long time after waking and exchanging bashful yet happy good mornings, they had just laid there together, content to study one another with awestruck eyes and neither willing to break the spell of the magical moment. With how easily Ruby could recall Regina that morning, it was like living it all over again.

She would never forget how gorgeous Regina had seemed in the morning sunlight, even though she was horribly sleep tousled with her silky sable locks adorably askew and a red imprint on one of her cheeks from where she'd been sleeping on a wrinkled part of her pillow. Ruby could remember think how unfair it was that even in her flaws, Regina was still the most beautiful woman she had ever seen; yet at the same time, she had been absolutely overwhelmed at being afforded the privilege of witnessing Regina at such a delicate and vulnerable moment.

And as Regina laid there smiling lazily at Ruby, there was so much love in her eyes that it seemed to radiate from some inexhaustible well deep within her being. Her entire countenance seemed to glow under the effect, and it was so striking that Ruby wondered how there could be any more love left in the world for other people to enjoy. Regina, it seemed to her, had greedily monopolized it all, and by some miracle had chosen her as the recipient on whom to lavish it. Being the object of Regina's enormous affections had filled Ruby with an indescribable joy, but it also greatly humbled her, for such a gift was rare and precious, meant to be properly cherished and never neglected. In that moment Ruby had sworn to herself that she never would.

As the warmth of the wonderful memory washed over her, Ruby felt her anxiety wane, and continuing as instructed in her slow, steady breathing, she felt the wolf recede in small measure and her control likewise begin to return.

"Yes, I can see her," she then answered Emma, clinging to the image of Regina lying next to her in bed, looking like a raven-haired goddess from some higher plain who had condescended to live among mortals, all soft and ethereal and so damn gorgeous that it hurt just to look at her.

"Good, good, just stay focused on that," Emma said with much evident relief. "Just let go and allow your thoughts be filled with nothing else but her and of the happy times you've shared. Let them become your anchor."

Nodding, Ruby took in another breath, exhaling as she pictured a typical morning at the breakfast table for the Mills family. In it, Regina was daintily eating her fruit and toast with the elegant grace of a Queen while reading the morning newspaper. As per usual, her reading glasses were perched on the bridge of her nose, lending an additional layer of sophistication to the appearance of a woman who needed no help in that department to begin with, even on her worst days.

While eating and reading, she would glance up from the paper, half-annoyed and half-besotted by the way Ruby would be wolfing down her pancakes, bacon, and eggs, influencing Henry to break his ingrained manners in small ways that drove her mad. Even though she always admonished them both, Regina would smile at them both when she thought she was unobserved, and so both Ruby and Henry would pretend to not notice her affectionate, surreptitious glances. Neither wanted her to stop feeling comfortable enough to give them, and those smiles accounted for much of the strength Ruby required to face each day.

Another breath, another exhale. In this memory, Regina was elegantly roller skating around the rink in Bangor, hand in hand with Ruby. She was dressed very casually for such a professionally chic woman, having worn a white v-necked t-shirt and jeans that night. To complete the look, her hair was tied up into a neat bun, though strands of it caught the air and fluttered about her face as she sped around the rink. And just as when she was all rumpled of a morning, she was stunning.

Regina's expression that night had been positively alight with such childlike joy that Ruby would never forget how good she felt bearing witness to it. It had seemed as if her heart were soaring high into the heavens simply because Regina was almost so childlike in her carefree exuberance. It was not often that the tightly wound Mayor let loose, making the experience exceedingly precious to Ruby, especially since the suggestion to go skating had been hers.

For what seemed like hours, they soared around the rink, borne about on plastic wheels rather than wings, happy just to be with each other and to be having so much fun. But then those chocolate eyes Ruby loved so much very unsubtly glanced down at her legging-clad derriere, her pointed leering causing an altogether different expression to form over Regina's features. After lingering longer than appropriate in the public setting, she then leveled a smoldering gaze on Ruby that distracted her to the point that she almost tripped up and face planted in front of a hundred people. The only reason she was spared such a truckload of embarrassment was due to being a highly skilled skater with inhuman reflexes.

When Ruby turned her attention back to Regina, her girlfriend's expression had changed yet again, this time into a mixture of amusement and adoration that suffused her entire body with warmth. Already fairly certain that Regina loved her though she had yet to express her feelings, it was nonetheless reassuring for Ruby to know that even her quirks and faults were admired as much as her strengths. Most only cared for Ruby the hero, or Ruby the steadfast friend, or Ruby the hot waitress who liked to prance around the diner dressed inappropriately, but with just that one look, Regina had subconsciously declared a deeper level of appreciation that inspired Ruby to at last confess her own feelings.

Another breath, another exhale. Next, she could see Regina dressed in her finest riding attire, white turtleneck beneath a black coat, along with beige riding breeches and knee high leather boots. Astride a massive black horse, she rode down a winding, well-trodden path through the woods, freedom and exhilaration written all over her face. Baring down on her steed, she urged him forward, her eyes gleaming with life as she whooped in unfettered joy. Beside them, Ruby was keeping pace in her wolf form, yipping and barking excitedly at her girlfriend's enthusiasm.

It absolutely infuriated Ruby that no one else seemed to be concerned with Regina's hobbies, only caring for her insomuch as she could help them. But Ruby was aware of how much the older woman loved to ride, owing to youthful memories of outings with her father and Daniel. She also knew that Regina did not fancy riding alone as she once had while ruling the Enchanted Forest. Having opened her heart up to Henry, then her friends around town, and then to Ruby, the days of lonesome journeys on horseback were over for her. Knowing this, Ruby indulged Regina on every occasion she was able, reveling that she could do this one thing for the woman she loved to unite her present happiness with that of her past.

Catching Ruby's eyes, Regina laughed in delight and gave a mighty shout of elation, rows of pearly white teeth flashing as glints of sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves above. This rare display of unrestrained behavior continued sporadically as they rode for miles and miles through the woods and then over the open hills and valleys to the west of town.

Another breath, another exhale. This time Ruby saw Regina sleeping soundly in her arms, her Queen's face relaxed in refreshing repose and colored with a lingering fulfillment that Ruby was also feeling. Breathing deeply in her sleep, she shifted ever-so-slightly in order to tuck her ebony-crowned head beneath Ruby's chin.

Even though it was just a memory, Ruby could almost smell her hair and feel the warm puffs of air that brushed against the bare skin of her chest with each breath her sleeping lover took. Dipping her fingers down below the sheets puddled low at their waists, she explored the perfectly smooth skin of Regina's back and hip, so exquisitely velvet under her fingertips. Ruby grinned as her girlfriend subconsciously shuddered at her touch.

Waking up with Regina Mills in her arms was one of the most satisfying experiences she ever had and in that moment she had wanted to experience that feeling again more than anything else in the whole world. All of the gold and silver of kings and princes could not equal the pleasure, the satisfaction, the soul-reaching completion she felt knowing that Regina belonged to her just as much as she belonged to Regina. And that she got to relive that moment and feeling time and again was perhaps one of the greatest wonders of her life.

In a flash, a dozen other memories sped through her mind such as Regina at the grocery store grousing about the quality of their apples, and then one flashed of the Mayor sitting imperiously in her office as she stared down a council member who had the gall to stubbornly opposing her initiative to expand the public school system in town. Another followed of her tutoring Henry in Spanish, the hard 'r' of the language so nearly identical to that of her father's homeland rolling off her tongue in a way that reached into Ruby's belly, stirring up the flames of passion yet again. At the beach in the next one, Regina stared on appreciatively from her lounger at a bikini-clad Ruby who was playing volleyball with Emma, Snow, Belle, Ella, and Rapunzel; no one looked at Ruby the way Regina did, like she wanted to devour her whole and worship her from head to toe all at the same time. Shuddering at the earnest attempt Regina had made that very night, Ruby couldn't help but smile.

There were a thousand other memories just like those made during the 3 years they had spent together, and as she recalled them one by one at random, she began to believe that despite present circumstances, there would be many more to come. Grounded by the past and hopeful for the future, she began to return to balance in the present, and as she did, the transformation at last abated and the pain ceased.

When the blood haze lifted, her awareness of her surroundings returned. Almost immediately her eyes shot open to the sight of a small crowd gathered around her. To her left were David and Snow who stood clutching each other, and she noticed that Snow's face was wet with tears. Ruby knew they had been shed for her and felt a bit guilty. She hadn't meant to scare anyone, but there had been little she could do to prevent it from happening. Still, it seemed that both of her friends were relieved that she was coming back to herself, a feeling Ruby echoed.

To the right stood Belle, looking on worriedly but patiently, and who upon noticing Ruby looking in her direction gave a sympathetic smile. Ruby could not help but return it. Feeble as her own effort was, Belle deserved the reassurance. Though the witty brunette was an unexpected friend, she also one Ruby couldn't imagine her life without. Next to Snow and Emma, she valued Belle's friendship above all others, so she was glad to see her there, though she still wished Belle hadn't been present to witness her near meltdown.

Turning her eyes in front of her, Ruby was then met by a sight that knocked the breath right out of her. Standing next to Emma was Henry, holding his mother's hand in a death grip as a lone tear streaked a path down his face. It was jarring to see the mature and somewhat stoic young man he had become in such an emotional state.

As Ruby met his eyes, she could see little aside from immense fear – for Regina mostly, but also for her. Her shame redoubled. Here Henry's mother was fighting for her life, yet he had also been forced to watch Ruby nearly lose herself to her alter ego. It was an unforgivable trespass from her perspective. She had needed to be strong for him and she had already failed.

"Oh, Henry," she said, head hung low. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

When Henry didn't respond, she glanced up expecting to see disapproval on his face. Instead, he chose to step forward and gently enfold her into an embrace. Sinking against him, Ruby clung desperately at what comfort he was offering, and he did much the same with her.

"I'm scared, Ruby," he whispered against her shoulder. His entire body was tense, reflecting that fear in the physical realm.

"I know. I am, too," she replied as she soothingly rubbed his back.

In the back of her mind, she heard a growl followed by a snarl and felt the brush of trembling anger against her skin. Silently so as to not exacerbate Henry's state, she began to pray that soon enough both of their fears would be dispelled. For if they were not, she was not certain she had enough strength remaining to fight off the wolf.

At that admission, the wolf hunkered down and then pinned her ears, her razor sharp teeth gleaming in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to break free of her prison. Ruby hoped it never came.


	6. The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

**Notes:** Sorry for the delay. Here's the next one. Hope y'all enjoy! *1/29/16: Amended this chapter to fix a boneheaded mistake in chapter 10 that I added in editing.*

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Also, please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately so I can correct them; you will be doing me a great service!

 **Chapter 5** – The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

After a moment of tightly embracing a lightly trembling Henry, Ruby pulled back to grasp him by the shoulders. Not sure where the confidence came from, she was nonetheless earnest as she peered down at him, hoping that her show of strength would encourage him.

"Listen, your Mom's gonna be fine," she declared far more boldly than she actually felt for Henry's benefit. "She's the strongest woman I've ever met. There is no way she is going to leave this world until she's good and ready."

Everyone who loved Regina also knew how infuriatingly stubborn the woman was, Ruby in particular. For instance, on the rare occasions when Regina was sick, she refused to take days off from work, even when she was so visibly miserable that it hurt Ruby to watch her languish in such discomfort. No amount of begging for her to slow down, whether from her son or her girlfriend, could prevail against the woman's mule-like determination to push her mind and body well past its limits.

"Mother didn't raise a sluggard," she often commented on such occasions, typically sounding horridly congested while suffering through an endlessly runny nose that would be beet red from constantly wiping at it with tissues.

Such obstinate behavior made Ruby want to tear her hair out while simultaneously berating some sense into Regina, but because convincing the world's most pig-headed woman to take a day off was a fighting a losing battle, she would just reply, "Yes, of course, hon," then proceed to silently fume until she couldn't take it anymore. After that, Ruby would throw herself against the unmovable object once more, one upping herself by openly begging. It never worked, though, because even offering various incentives that would sway most people to concede, such as being waited on hand and foot or a week's worth of full body massages, could not sway Regina when her mind was made up.

No one told Regina Mills what to do. No one. And if being her girlfriend did not afford Ruby special privileges, then it came as no surprise that she would refuse to die when her time came. And should death come back for round two, well, Ruby was fairly certain it was in for an unpleasant surprise, since Regina was more likely to spit in its face or throw a fireball at it than to surrender without a fight.

As if in agreement with Ruby's declaration to Henry, nods were given from among the gathered friends and family members. Not for the first time Ruby was glad for their presence, if not for herself and Henry, then for Regina's sake at the very least. It might be hokey, but she firmly believed that when people set their own issues aside to come together on someone's behalf, the good vibes alone that were created as a consequence could prove effective to turn a situation around.

"Plus, she has all of these people here who love her," she then continued, verbalizing those thoughts, "and I know everyone single one of them is wishing her better with all their hearts." Another chorus of agreement followed that statement. Ruby smiled. "That much positive energy is bound to make a difference. And besides, it doesn't hurt that Victor is the best surgeon in Storybrooke. She's in good hands."

"He's the only surgeon in Storybrooke," Henry retorted, sniffling around a tentative, teasing smile.

Ruby chuckled despite herself at the quip, causing Henry's smile to ever-so-slightly grow. "That's very true," she conceded his point, "but despite Victor actually being very good at his job, I trust him."

"Speak of the devil," Emma then interjected under her breath, which Ruby's sensitive ears did not miss.

At the semi-snide comment from her friend, Ruby turned to see Victor approaching, still dressed in his bloody scrubs. As he came near, he pulled the surgical mask off his face and then rubbed the sweat off of his brow. To Ruby he appeared tense and weary, which made her very uneasy.

"How is she?" she asked the instant he came to a stop, not liking his expression one bit.

Victor instantly schooled his features. "She's stable for now," he then answered, his tone typically cool and detached.

"For now?" she pressed anxiously as she stepped closer to her physician friend.

"For now," Victor reasserted, allowing his face to relax somewhat – likely an attempt to reassure her. He then took a deep breath and launched into his explanation. "Look, I'm not sure how much you all know, but I'll give it to you straight. Regina was stabbed in the upper right quadrant of her chest."

At that Belle's hand shot to her mouth in horror, Snow gasped as David's grip on her shoulders tightened, Emma gaped as if unable to believe what she was hearing, and Henry tensed at Ruby's side as she blanched. Yet none of them dared interrupt Victor as he went on to detail what had happened since Regina was brought in.

"She lost a lot of blood, but the knife missed all of her major organs and blood vessels, so with that said, she was extremely lucky. Still, for some reason we had a hard time getting the bleeding to stop, and we had to give her three transfusions before we managed to do so. Thankfully, Regina is a pragmatic woman and had the foresight to store some of her own blood with the hospital's blood bank in the event of a catastrophic injury."

This was information Ruby was already aware of.

About a year after she moved in with Regina, Granny had an accident at work. She had been prepping the vegetables for the lunch rush when one of the waitresses working that day shouted at the top of her lungs that a pipe had burst in the men's restroom. When Granny turned to check what the fuss was about, she slipped on a spot of grease on the floor that had been missed the night before and as she flailed, the razor sharp blade of her knife ran up her forearm, cutting a deep vertical line halfway up to her elbow. Before Granny even had time to react, blood was spilling out everywhere. Luckily the girl who had yelled came to the back rather quickly and exercised a sharp wit under pressure. Springing into action, she helped Granny wrap the wound tightly with a towel and keep pressure on it until the ambulance arrived.

Later on as Ruby sat fretting about her Grandmother's health, Regina had deemed it an appropriate time to inform her that she had stored some of her own blood in the hospital's blood bank.

"Just in case," she had added in an almost nonchalant way, as if the potential need for a transfusion was as commonplace as an asthmatic keeping an inhaler on hand. "I have a rare blood type, and as we have just learned, you never know what may happen."

"Jesus, Regina," Ruby had replied, shocked at out-of-left-field statement and the blasé tone with which it was delivered. "I'm already scared to death about Granny and you drop this on me?"

At the chastisement, Regina had the grace to blush. "Forgive me, Ruby. It just popped into my mind, and I suppose in my own anxiety, I had a lapse in judgment."

Ruby had, of course, forgiven Regina, but she had still been bothered that such a measure was deemed necessary. While she was sitting in Granny's room later that night listening to her ornery grandmother complain about the line of stitches up her arm, all Ruby could think about was: what if it had been Regina? Or worse yet, what if one of Regina's many enemies had decided that day was a fine one to act out their long suppressed revenge fantasy. It was then that Ruby understood why Regina made the decision to store her own blood, and it wasn't because of her rare blood type.

At any time, some nutcase might snap and lash out over injustices that were decades in the past, having no regard for the impressive strides Regina had made in reforming herself. In the eyes of most citizens, the Queen had long since proven her days of malicious chicanery were behind her. Yet rather than seeking retribution for things that could not be restored or mended in any meaningful way, they chose to forgive, and if that was not possible, they were at least willing to let go of the past in order to forge a better future.

There were those individuals, however, who could not move on, irregardless of the vastly improved existence Storybrooke afforded and the many times Regina had risked her to life to save the town – and by consequence, their lives. For such people, Regina would always be the Evil Queen, and while she was resigned to that unfortunately reality, Ruby wished there was something that could be done to convince what few holdouts remained that Regina really was different now.

But no amount of money could assuage the hurts of the heart, and words lacked the power to erase wounds that cut down into the marrow of a persons being. It was likely, in Ruby's opinion, that it was such a person who had attacked Regina, and while it broke her heart that such acrimony still existed toward Regina, she was thankful beyond measure for the woman's morbidly accurate foresight. Ruby didn't need Victor to tell her that those bags of blood had saved Regina's life.

After taking a prolonged and measured breath, Victor rubbed his brow once more, drawing Ruby's attention back to him. He then allowed his hand to drop, revealing a much more grave expression.

"Now," he continued on, "in the interest of honesty, I have to inform you that Regina's heart stopped twice during the operation, but we were able to quickly restart it each time. But, and I stress this as my medical opinion, other than those admittedly major issues, the surgery was an overall success. Barring complications, she should make a full recovery." With those words, the entire group breathed a sigh of relief. But Victor went on to add, "However, because she is still very weak and also due to the ordinate level of blood loss she experienced, my optimism remains cautious."

Ruby almost lost it again when Victor said that Regina's heart had stopped, but at the same time Henry went rigid once more and his hold on her hand became almost crushing. Were it not for the advantages of her superhuman strength, his grip probably would have hurt like hell. As it was, the action – however subconscious – alerted her to just how petrified he was, so she forcibly restrained her instinct to tear the hospital upside down just so she could see for herself that Regina was, as Victor claimed her to be, alive.

"What does that even mean?" Emma then spoke up, arms crossed defensively over her chest. When Victor raised a golden brow, she clarified, "About the blood loss. It obviously concerns you enough for your 'optimism' to remain 'cautious'."

"To risk oversimplifying things, she should not have bled so much," Victor addressed the inquiry. When Emma raised her eyebrows, he went on to elaborate in his distinctively dry and clinical way, "More specifically, while the wound was fairly substantial, no major vessels were ruptured or even nicked, so she should not have lost the volume of blood that she did due to such an injury. Furthermore, due to my past interactions with Regina in the Enchanted Forest, and through my association with Rumplestiltskin, I am aware of the fact that Regina's magic is not only extremely potent but also inherent."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Snow asked, looking as confused as Ruby felt. It seemed most everyone was in that camp, even Emma, whose understanding of magic was much more thorough than that of any one else present.

"Well," Victor motioned toward her with his hand, an idle gesture that made him seem a bit more human and less like the robotic scientist he liked to pretend he was, "magic is a subject on which I am woefully uninformed, but I know enough to understand that her magic should have reacted to the injury to at least some degree. That it didn't leads me to suspect that there was something else at play, some other factor besides her wound."

"Such as?" David asked.

Victor frowned, his forehead scrunching up as he pursed his lips. "I don't like to speculate."

"And I don't like being kept in the dark," Ruby said, her own brows furrowed in aggravation at her friend. "Break the mold for once, Whale, and just tell us what you think."

After giving a forbearing sigh, Victor nodded in acquiescence. "Alright. I can't say for certain without running tests, which I have already ordered, but my guess is that a poison of some sort may be the cause."

Everyone in the room reacted at once to Victor's supposition, mostly through gasps, but Ruby half-shouted in terror. "Poison?! What the actual hell?"

"Don't overreact, Lucas," Victor replied quickly, "as I said, I can't be sure that's the case. Her system does not seem to be reacting to a poison, but it is possible that her magic is protecting her from its effects, and thus the lack of response to the profuse bleeding." With a weary sigh, he then crossed his arms over his chest, his cloth surgical mask dangling from his fingertips. "In any case, all of this is just educated speculation. As I said, I have ordered a round of blood tests to check for poisons the old fashioned way, but as the Sheriff well knows, the results could take quite a while."

Emma frowned, but nodded in agreement knowing Victor was correct in his assessment. Storybrooke General was not known for sporting a robust lab, nor was said lab as efficient as it might be were it properly staffed. Aside from their mutual care for Ruby, improving the lab was the only point of interest that Regina and Victor could agree on. For the better part of a year, both had been wrestling with the board to approve budget increases that would create a more robust lab better able to deal with Storybrooke's rapidly growing population. Sadly, they had made little progress to date, as the board remained deadlocked with half the members supporting such a measure and the other half – the greedier half – opposing it.

Sensing Victor already had an alternative in mind, Ruby caught his eyes. "So, what would you suggest?"

"I suggest you call in the Cavalry as our esteemed Savior suggested to Dr. Lord," was Victor's ambiguous response, causing Ruby to cross her arms over her chest, mimicking Emma's position.

Noticing her friend's face contort in dissatisfaction at what Victor said, Ruby added, "Meaning?"

With fluid movement, Victor gestured calmly at Belle, who was a bit taken aback by his sudden focus on her. "Her husband is your best bet if you want answers immediately. As the Dark One, he is the most powerful and by far the most knowledgeable magician we have at our disposal. No one else can provide the answers we need to quickly and properly treat Regina from this point forward."

Without even being asked, Belle set her shoulders in a determined fashion. "He's at his shop right now, but I'll be glad to go fetch him," she said, readily willing to leverage her connection with Rumplestiltskin on Regina's behalf. To many it would have been surprising since Belle's history with Regina was checkered as well, but to Ruby it was just another instance of Belle being Belle, an unfailing friend that she could always count on.

Giving her friend a grateful smile, Ruby held out her hands for Belle, who took them wearing a smile of her own. "Thanks, Belle," she said, meaning the words as much as she ever had in her life. "That would be much appreciated."

"Of course," Belle replied, and then tugged Ruby closer in order to give her a tight hug, which Ruby warmly returned. "You hang on, okay?" she added privately as they embraced. "Everything will work out in the end. You'll see."

With a lump in her throat, Ruby could only nod against Belle's shoulder. While the aptly named woman's unique brand of optimism was hard to resist, experience had taught Ruby to hope for the best while preparing for the worst. To keep Belle from departing with a dark cloud over her mission, however, Ruby kept her doubts to herself.

After pulling away with an encouraging smile, Belle then turned and departed to retrieve her spouse. As soon as she was out the door, Ruby turned on Victor again.

"Can we see Regina?" The request was forceful, motivated by an intense need to be near to her girlfriend. She had been living in such anxiety since that dreadful phone call came into the Station that nothing could help her save seeing Regina with her own eyes.

"She's in recovery at the moment, so not for a while yet," Victor answered diplomatically. "We'll move her into a room as soon as I feel she's not in danger of complications from the surgery. I estimate an hour, two at most. But however long it takes, send Rumple in directly when he arrives."

Ruby did not want to wait. What she wanted was to go to Regina immediately, to wrap her girlfriend up in her arms and smother her with kisses, but she knew that was not possible. And then there was also the fact that Henry was likely feeling just as she was, minus the kisses, and when she glanced over at him, Ruby noticed that he appeared resigned to Victor's timetable. With much disappointment, she sighed. "Fine."

"I'll keep you posted, okay?" Victor replied, his eyes softening to finally show a bit of the friend she had come to rely on for advice. Sarcastic bastard that he was, it always came in colorful ways, but he had yet to lead her wrong. Victor was a sounding board that Ruby could rely on to remain objective, and that was a very valuable resource to tap while navigating a relationship with the most complicated woman on earth.

Feeling a swell of affection for her 'fellow monster', Ruby gave Victor the best smile she could muster under the circumstances. "Alright. I appreciate that." While she wanted to say more, to thank him more profusely, to shower him with gratitude, she was too distracted by concern for Regina to give much beyond her monosyllabic offering.

Victor seemed to understand, though, and returned the smile as he reached out to affectionately squeeze her elbow. "Anytime. Keep that chin up, Lucas. You have much too aesthetic a jawline to keep it hidden."

That brought a more genuine smile to her face. "I always do. And thanks. Glass though it may be, yours ain't so bad either, Frankie."

With a smug grin at the nickname and the swipe at his toughness, Victor chuckled. It was a long-standing joke between them that Ruby, a woman whose physical stature did not project the strength that lie within her muscles and bones, could literally demolish him. Victor liked to counter that he could dissect her from head to toe with perfect precision and then reassemble her into something more befitting the beast that lived beneath her skin. That was the kind of friendship they had. With Victor, Ruby felt like one of the guys while she made him feel accepted for the devastatingly witty scoundrel he was.

"Such a flatterer," Victor then retorted, winking dramatically. After that, he gave a curt tilt of his head. "I'll let you know the second I know more," and with that, he departed back down the hallway of the hospital, not even bothering to say goodbye – a very Victor-like thing to do. Within seconds, he rounded the corner and disappeared from view.

"Come on," Snow said from beside Ruby, having stepped up as Victor returned to his duties. Placing a hand on Ruby's elbow, she directed them both in the direction of the waiting room. "Let's go sit for a while. While we wait you can tell me about the time Regina caught you prancing about in one of her favorite dresses while doing your best imitation of her as the Queen."

"Oh, God," Ruby groaned, rolling her eyes as if annoyed. In truth, she was grateful for the distraction, however embarrassing it was. "Are you ever gonna let me live that down?"

Snow's eyes glinted as she grinned. "Not before Regina does, which will be sometime in the next century." It was unfortunately true. Regina teased Ruby about the dress incident at every inappropriate opportunity.

Still grinning, Snow took Ruby by the hand and lead her toward the waiting room where she regaled her friend with the tale of the purple dress with the absurdly high feathered collar and ridiculously low neckline.

Relating the funny, mortifying, and extremely erotic account (though Ruby wisely omitted the erotic parts) proved a helpful distraction to present circumstances, and after she had finished her tale, others added their own amusing or fondly remembered anecdotes about Regina. Sharing such stories was a way to process what had happened through the lens of happy memories, and though they all remained dreadfully cognizant of the traumatic event that had gathered them together, remembering the good times with Regina alleviated some of the stress of incessant worries over her condition. But eventually as it is wont to do, reality set in, and with it a heavy silence descended over the room.

After that, Ruby stepped out of the room for a moment to call Granny. While filling her in about what happened to Regina, she strategically neglected to be explicit with details. Hiding the severity of Regina's injuries from Granny was a calculated risk. Ruby knew that Granny would be furious upon discovering the lie – Regina was family to her, part of her pack, an adopted daughter – but the part of Ruby that was simmering for pay back did not want the only person capable of talking sense into her to be around. And though she feeling horribly guilty at deceiving the woman who had sacrificed so much to raise her, she was not deterred from amending it for even a second. Granny would just have to be angry at her. When all of this was over, Ruby was more than willing to take her lumps if it meant she got the bastard who hurt Regina.

Ruby returned to a waiting room full of subdued friends and family. Over the next hour that followed, everyone in the waiting room sat in relative quiet, though the air was heavy laden with a bow-taut tension. For much of that time, Ruby paced back and forth in an attempt to excise her frustration and barely subdued anger through constant motion, all the while knowing it was just a matter of time before those particular flood gates caved in under the mounting pressure of the wolf's simmering rage. To varying degrees of success, she did her best to hold herself together both for Regina's sake and especially for Henry's, since the last thing he needed was for her to further exacerbate his already high levels of stress.

Reining in her rampant emotions required a herculean effort that the wolf resisted every step of the way. Already agitated, Ruby's counterpart was furious at being kept on her metaphoric leash and was lashing out at Ruby's mind with a singular fervor that reinforced the belief that an effective resistance could not feasibly be maintained indefinitely. Eventually, Ruby was going to succumb to the wolf's malicious desire for vengeance. When that happened, she would go on the hunt, and there was nothing or no one in Storybrooke capable of stopping her.

Taking several deep breaths, Ruby willed herself to calm down, but found it alarmingly difficult. All of this waiting around was doing little to aid in maintaining her already inadequate amount of self-control. Adding to that was the fact that sitting around in those uncomfortable chairs with nothing to do to occupy herself gave ample time to contemplate what actions she would take once she discovered who had stabbed Regina. None of the possibilities she conjured were pretty, but what frightened her the most was that she could not truly begin to guess what kind of depravity she would be capable of in such a situation as this. The wolf could be vicious and merciless at the best of times, but what kind of a rampage would she go on when maddened by the egregious assault on her mate?

Ruby could honestly say she was frightened of what might happen, but even so, the more she contended with the wolf, the more she realized she was unwilling to hold her back forever. As fervent and indomitable as was the wolf's desire for vengeance, Ruby was not immune to such feelings of her own, and although it would be incredibly selfish of her to leave Henry at so critical a juncture, she increasingly felt bereft of agency in the matter. If she did not voluntarily surrender to the wolf, another episode like the one in the lobby would occur, only this time much more violent and unpredictable. However angry everyone got at her, Ruby couldn't let that happen, and while Henry almost certainly would not understand her reasoning, at least Emma would be around to watch over him while she took care of business.

Her course of action, then, was decided. As soon as she was able to see Regina with her own eyes and be convinced that her girlfriend was going to be okay, Ruby would allow the wolf to have her way. Once clear of the hospital, she would venture back home to 108 Mifflin Street in order to begin tracking her prey, not to cease until they were found and suitably punished.

Having become so consumed by her thoughts and by her unceasing war to restrain the wolf, Ruby did not register much in the way of the passage of time. Thus, she was surprised when Victor's voice broke the heavy silence in the waiting room.

"Alright, you can see her now one at a time," he said from the doorway. "Regina is in room 132, that's down the hall, take the first right. Her room is the third on the left."

Ruby turned to Henry, who was sitting next to Emma, clutching her hand like a vice grip as he was in the waiting room. She nodded towards the door and Victor. "You should go, Henry. Your mom would want to see you first. Dr. Whale will escort you back." Ruby eyed him sternly as if daring him to object. "Isn't that right?"

Victor swallowed and then tried to hide the nervous tic behind an accommodating smile. "Of course."

After standing, Henry began to cross the room, but stopped midway and turned to face Ruby instead. His demeanor becoming stubbornly set, he held out his hand for her. "I'm not going without you."

"I'm sorry, but no more than one visitor at a time for the moment," Victor reiterated.

Rising from her seat, Ruby moved over to stand before her partner's son. "Go on, Henry, it's alright," she said as she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. She then attempted to usher him forward, but he wouldn't budge.

"No. Mom would want both of us there, Ruby," he firmly declared, his jaw set firmly in a way that reminded Ruby very much of the mother that raised and nurtured him into the fine young man he was becoming.

When Ruby saw Victor begin to object again, she began to address his objection, but was interrupted by Henry beating her to the punch. There was a sharp look in his eyes as he spoke that she was not used to seeing.

"Once she's better," he said to Victor, "you wouldn't want my Mom to hear that you denied the two people she loves most access to her, would you, Dr. Whale?"

Ruby wasn't sure whether to be proud of the shrewd manipulation or not. While she knew that Regina would have praised the tactic, Ruby was not accustomed to enabling such shady behavior. Yet, however she felt about utilizing such underhanded tactics, it worked. After considering the scenario Henry had so shrewdly pained for about a second, Victor caved.

"Well, she _is_ stable now, so I suppose an exception can be made in this case," he acquiesced, and it was clear that his fear of Regina outweighed his sense of scientific or ethical responsibility. Victor always was a smart guy.

"Alright, then. Lead the way, Dr. Whale," Henry said, tugging Ruby along as he fell in behind the wide-eyed Victor Whale, who with a single curt nod, turned and began to lead the way.

Glancing back as Henry dragged her, she noticed that Emma was smirking. "Like mother, like son," she called out, a referral to Regina which Ruby could not deny. And so, once again Ruby found herself being lead around as if helpless, although this time it was by Henry rather than his birth mother and while under remarkably improved circumstances.

Once Victor had successfully escorted them through the various hallways to Regina's room, he stopped them in front of the door. His previously neutral expression shifted in severity. "I should warn you, she's going to look far worse than she is," he said, his tone matching his expression. "It will be a shock to see her this way and probably very frightening, which is a perfectly natural response. Just remember that she _is_ stable and I see no reason for that to change."

Grateful beyond words for his efforts, Ruby took Victor's hand in her free one and at last openly expressed those feelings. "Thank you, Victor. So much. I know you and Regina have a difficult past, but I'll never forget this and neither will she."

The typically cold and calculating doctor actually looked touched at Ruby's declaration. She was glad of it. Accepting her gratitude eased her enormous sense of debt where he was concerned. She owed Victor Whale more than she could ever repay, so thanking him was the least she could do.

"You're welcome," he replied with sincerity. "And while I wish I could hang around, I have other patients that need my attention. I'll come check on her again as soon as I can, okay?"

At that, Ruby nodded and then watched Victor walk away for the second time in as many hours. After he had disappeared around a corner, she looked down at Henry, who seemed pensive and quite understandably afraid.

"You wanna go in first, kid, or shall I?" she asked, offering him the option, though she knew what he would choose.

"You first," he answered as she had expected, his voice hesitant.

"Okay."

After giving Henry's hand another squeeze, she turned the knob on the door and began to push it open but then paused and glanced at Henry once more. "Just remember what Victor said, and that I'm here and your Mom is gonna be okay. Alright?"

Henry nodded and followed behind Ruby as she stepped into the room. The moment her eyes landed on Regina she stopped cold. Victor had not been kidding. Ruby was sincerely grateful for his warning, but in spite of it, she was shocked by the sight that greeted her.

Looking shrunken in the bed as if half her already petite size, her girlfriend's normally glowing olive skin was pasty white in color and her forehead was swollen and mottled with awful looking bruises. In short, Regina looked awful. Had Ruby not been told by Victor to expect it and that Regina was alive, she would have freaked the hell out. Regina was not supposed to look like that...ever. The woman was a larger than life, walking force of nature, and yet here she was reduced to a motionless and fragile thing, a porcelain doll ready for the breaking. It was all so very wrong that Ruby could only stare in dismay.

When Henry blanched and swayed in place after a long moment of terrible silence, Ruby jolted, the movement forcing her out of her stupor. Exercising quick reflexes, she caught hold of his jacket with an iron grip and then guided him over to a chair where she forced him to sit. As Henry gathered himself with shaky hands, she knelt on her haunches in front of him, permitting her concern for him to override her alarm at Regina's condition.

"Are you gonna be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah," was Henry's breathy reply, heavy tears pooling at his lids despite his best efforts to stave them off. His head was shaking in the negative as he answered, however, which subconsciously betrayed his true feelings. "I'm okay, I'm just...she just...she barely looks alive, Ruby. My mom almost died. My mom almost died!"

Unable to hold it in any more, the dam burst for Henry. With a heaving sob, he collapsed into Ruby's arms and wept. Without breaking her hold of him, she maneuvered herself into the chair next to him and let him cry his worry out.

"I know, I know. It's okay. It's gonna be alright," Ruby cooed soothingly after a minute or two. "She's gonna be okay. She'll be up bossing us around in no time, you'll see."

With his head on her shoulder, Henry nodded and then sniffled. Having expunged much of his pent up emotions and washed them away through cleansing tears, Ruby knew he would soon feel better. That was just the way Henry was. When he cried, it was a purging that left him drained but much better off than he had been before.

Taking his hand tenderly, Ruby guided him up out of the chair and then lead them both over to Regina's beside. The only thing that could truly help either of them was for Regina to wake up, but simply being close to her would have to suffice for now.

Once at the bedside, her breath caught in her throat, and with her free hand, she brushed Regina's matted hair off of her forehead.

"Hey, baby," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes as she caressed an area of Regina's forehead free of bruising. "I love you and I'm right here. Henry's here, too. We both love you so much and we just want you to get better, okay?"

"She's right, Mom," Henry added, clutching more tightly to Ruby's hand. "We're here. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. You've been there for me my whole life, so now I'm gonna be here for you. So, whatever you need, I'll do it, just please wake up. Come back to us, Mom."

Leaning over Regina's prone form, Ruby leaned in to place a feather-light kiss against pale and cold lips. Used to warmth and smoothness when sharing kisses with her girlfriend, the foreign feel of them was so jarring that it almost caused her to startle. Gathering herself with a steadying breath through her nose, Ruby then settled her lips against Regina's temple, finding it just as cold as her lips had been, and let them linger there momentarily.

After pulling back slightly, she leaned toward Regina's right ear and whispered with a voice full of wavering emotion, "I know things have been bad lately, and I'm so sorry for that. I know it's all my fault. I promise that it'll be over soon, and then we can start a whole new chapter of our lives together. So, do you think you could wake up for me? I want to see those brown eyes I love so much and hear your voice again. I swear, Regina, my heart beats to the sound of your voice. So, please, _please_ , don't leave me...don't leave us! We need you!"

Unable now to restrain her emotions, she straightened herself and tried to brush away the salty tears that were running down her cheeks. She had wanted to stay strong for Regina and Henry, because now more than ever, they needed her to be, but she was just too weak. It was yet another example of her failure that she could to add to the rapidly growing list. She shook her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Henry."

It seemed Henry instinctively intuited Ruby's insecurity, because he squeezed her hand gently and gave her a watery, but understanding smile.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "It's okay to love someone so much that you lose control of your emotions. Love isn't a weakness like Mom once thought. It's a strength. It's never wrong to love someone with everything you've got. It took Mom a long time to learn that lesson, but she did thanks to you."

Ruby sniffled and then leaned in to place an affectionate kiss upon Henry's cheek, appreciate of his tenderly spoken wisdom. "Thanks. That means a lot to me, but it wasn't just me who helped her, you know. It was both of us."

"Yeah," replied Henry with a measurable display of pride, "we make a pretty good team, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do," Ruby confirmed as she bumped his shoulder with her own.

"Hear that, Mom?" Henry then said, directing a purposeful gaze to his mother. "You have to get better, 'cause me and Ruby love you too much to let you go. So, you do whatever you've gotta do to get back to us. Fight, Mom. Don't give up, just fight, okay?"

As if in a miraculous answer to the pleas she had been entreated with, Regina's heart monitor gave several slightly stronger beeps. It seemed to be her way of letting the people she loved know that she was fighting to get back to them. That sound alone soothed the worst of Ruby's fears, which caused much of the tension to drain out of her body. Next to her, she noticed Henry relax his posture a bit as well.

Now able to breathe a little easier, Ruby turned to pull the only two chairs in the room closer to the bedside and when she had them where she wanted them, she gestured for Henry to sit. He complied without a word. After Ruby seated herself, they assumed a vigil over Regina, watching over her and projecting their love her way, hoping that their mere presence would help her to recover more quickly.

Over the course of their vigil, they took turns holding Regina's hand and talking to her, with Henry telling her about school and Ruby some of Emma's recent antics at the station. Sometimes, they just content sit together, silently holding each others hands as they listened to the reassuring sound of Regina's monitors beeping steadily along with the beating of her heart. And of course, they were in a hospital, so nurses came in and out of the room at various intervals to check Regina's vitals, but for the most part, Ruby and Henry paid them no mind; their focus was on the woman laying inert in the hospital bed, more still and lifeless than they had ever seen her.

It seemed like perhaps half an hour had passed, but when the door to Regina's room opened and Victor appeared, Ruby instinctively checked the clock to find that over an hour had passed. She was honestly surprised that the fastidious had allowed them such a long period of access to Regina after so severe a trauma, but she guessed that Henry's earlier threats had their intended effect. Whatever the case, she was not about to complain.

When the door was opened wide enough, Ruby saw that Victor was not alone. Behind him, she recognized the long brown hair – ever so slightly tinged with grey – of Rumplestiltskin. Ruby stood in anticipation of the answers he could give, though in her gut, she felt uneasy, and as she rose to greet the newcomers, Henry followed her lead.

"Victor, Rumple," Ruby said evenly as they made their way into the room.

Victor smiled tightly in reply as he walked over to the foot of Regina's bed to retrieve her chart. "Ruby."

"Miss Lucas, Henry," was Rumple's more animated greeting, especially when directed at his grandson.

Ruby returned Rumple's greeting with a nod and then turned to watch with rapt attention as Victor read Regina's chart. After flipping through the pages for pertinent information, he glanced over at the monitors keeping track of her vital signs.

"Well?" Ruby asked impatiently, more than a little desperate to know how Regina was doing from a medical standpoint.

"All seems to be as well as can be expected considering the circumstances," was Victor's clinical answer. Sensing the impending questions, he clarified himself before either Ruby or Henry could interrupt. "She is recovering, but slowly. If my earlier speculation is correct, I believe whatever poison was introduced into her system is slowing the healing process. It doesn't appear to be life threatening, however, which is strange in and of itself. But that's why Rumple is here, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Rumple chirped as he approached the side of Regina's bed across from where Ruby and Henry were hovering protectively. He reached out his hand and let it hang in the air over the area of his former protege's wound, but as if sensing the tension of the people across from him, he glanced up appraising. "May I?"

"Please, Grandpa," Henry answered with earnestly pleading eyes. "Find out what's wrong with my Mom."

Nodding, Rumple glanced at Ruby next, much more wary and cautious than he had looked when speaking to Henry. Ruby was pleased to notice that even the Dark One harbored a healthy fear of the Big Bad Wolf, though perhaps it was just a grudging respect. Either way, he was right to fear her considering all of the stories Regina had told her of the way he had treated her during her training. Ruby would be damned if she let him hurt Regina ever again, which left her tempted to bare her teeth at him in a menacing fashion. But in the interest of getting much needed answers, she restrained herself. Knowing what was wrong with Regina was far more important than petty posturing.

"By all means," she finally replied in answer to Rumplestiltskin's unspoken request. While her tone was approving, she gave him a sharply pointed glare, a warning that she then reiterated verbally. "Just remember that I'm watching you."

With a crooked grin, Rumple chuckled under his breath. The subtle reaction had Ruby narrowing her eyes into slits. She'd not meant the threat idly. There was nothing remotely humorous about the situation, though he apparently disagreed. Furthering her annoyance, he completely ignored the hostility she was projecting.

"I expected nothing less, dearie," he retorted, the corner of his lips still turned up half-mockingly. "Now then, let's see what we have, shall we?"

Ruby silently fumed at the blatant disregard for her warning, but made no fuss so as to expedite the need for his presence. The sooner he fixed Regina, the sooner he would be gone, and that was just fine with her.

Watching closely as promised, Ruby observed as Rumple began waving his hand over Regina's wound. As he repeated the action several times, his magic – glowing a vibrant purple – began to swirl around his hand and then flow down toward Regina's chest. For a moment, Ruby tensed, her eyes turning yellow as she readied herself to attack should his motives of prove to be untrue; no matter how much he had purported to have changed, she was not about to take any chances with Regina's life on the line.

The greatest of all Dark Ones to ever live seemed to neither notice nor care about the threat she posed as his face scrunched with concentration while commanding the magic he had summoned forth. Upon gathering it into a small cloud over the wound, it began to slowly seep inside Regina's body until it finally disappeared, and for about 30 seconds afterward, Rumple's face remained a picture of intense focus.

Suddenly, he relaxed and quickly withdrew his magic back into his hand. Breathing a disappointed sigh, his brown eyes turned dark with intensity. "As you suspected, Doctor, poison is at play and Regina's innate magic is holding it bay."

"Wait a second," Ruby interjected, not quite understanding the last bit. "Are you suggesting her magic is acting on its own?"

She recalled vaguely that Victor had earlier mentioned something similar, but apparently she had not been listening as closely as she should have been. However, when coming from the lips of Rumplestiltskin, a shady yet knowledgeable man she had yet to learn to trust, she picked up on the implication because she was paying closer attention.

"In a sense, yes," Rumple began an informative albeit dry response. "There are two types of magic found in humans: learned and innate. Most practitioners are of the learned type, harnessing magic through intensive studies and training. However, innate magic is instinctive and intuitive, enabling inexplicable expressions of magic in those who do not learn to harness it, and great displays of power which can reach almost miraculous levels in those who do. Healing faster from sickness and injury is just one of such inherent benefits. And while a learned sorcerer can accomplish many impressive feats, they will always be pale in comparison to those of a peer whose magic is innate."

"Which is why you chose Regina to cast your curse," Ruby supplied, eyeing him almost hatefully. When Regina had told her the story of how she became the Evil Queen, it was very easy for Ruby to see the hand behind it all. Rumplestiltskin had needed someone incredibly powerful to cast the Dark Curse, and Regina fit the bill, so he had groomed her for that singular purpose. Now Ruby understood why.

In response to the deduction, Rumple inclined his head in an affirmative manner, though he completely ignored her venomous stare. "Indeed. While it is true that Zelena has far more innate power at her disposal, Regina had the will to learn how to properly harness hers. Because of that, she became the most powerful sorceress in all the Realms."

A cold chill ran up Ruby's spine at the reverent way he spoke of that time, as if his pride in creating the Evil Queen was a crowning achievement. Being well versed in Regina's dark and painful history, she was also aware of the vile tactics the Dark One had incorporated to ensure his puppet pupil remained pliant while traversing her predetermined course. Some of the things he had manipulated Regina into doing were so heinous that the very mention of them turned Ruby's stomach. And while Regina was undeniably responsible for her own actions, Rumplestiltskin's involvement in her downfall was something Ruby would never forgive. Her absolute love for Regina created a resentment for the Dark One that was far too deep to ever fully fade.

Rubbing her arms again the chill, Ruby turned her eyes back to Regina, still lying motionless and pale on the hospital bed. Her chest tightened at the sight. "Makes sense, I guess," she then said to Rumplestiltskin, her tone carefully measured so as not to allow her distaste of him to be overly obvious in a way that Henry could detect. However much she loathed the man, she needed him to help Regina, and making him look bad in front of his grandson ran counter to that objective. "But what I want to know is if she'll be alright." When he did not immediately answer, Ruby pressed again. "Well? Will she?"

"I believe so," Rumple answered. "But it will take some time for her magic to completely eradicate the poison."

At the second confirmation that Regina had indeed been poisoned, Ruby's eyes flashed. "Can you tell what kind of poison it was?"

At that, Rumple regarded Ruby curiously. By the way his mouth quirked up at the corners, she assumed he was deciding whether or not he wanted to reveal what he had learned. But the moment he caught her flared nostrils and steely eyes, his pleased look faded.

"This is where things will not make sense at first," he finally answered, and then shook his head slightly. He glanced at his former pupil almost fondly. "Never in a million years would I have expected this. Oh, Regina, you've really outdone yourself this time."

"Hey!" Ruby barked, his procrastination further irritating her. "I asked you a question. Stop spouting nonsense and answer me."

Rolling his eyes, Rumple directed a wicked smirk at her and then dropped the bomb that would soon shake Ruby's life to the foundations. "It's wolfsbane."


	7. A Price to be Paid

**Notes** : Here is the next installment. I would have liked to go over this another time or two, but I felt guilty for missing my goal of two chapters per week. I hope that it's not too hokey given the trope-ishness. Anyway, thanks for reading, reviewing and all that jazz. I appreciate it so much. Next one Thursday or Friday. Later, y'all!

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Also, please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately so I can correct them; you will be doing me a great service!

 **Chapter 6** – A Price to be Paid

At first Ruby was understandably confused by the ominously stated diagnosis. "What? _Wolfsbane_? Regina is not a werewolf." But the more Ruby thought about it, the more she became aware of the most obvious implication.

When it finally registered as to what Henry would be lead to surmise without further clarification, she turned to him, terrified that he might be entertaining so awful a thought. "I swear I didn't turn her," she insisted, imploring him to believe her via tone and expression. "I _swear_! I wouldn't do that."

As she watched Henry process what he had just heard, Ruby supposed it would be understandable for him to jump to such a conclusion. If she were in his shoes, it would be her first thought as well, though that did not make her feel any better. Those kinds of doubts could spell disaster for their relationship, for such were the type that destroyed trust between people, that created cracks in otherwise solid foundations that could never be repaired no matter how diligently the sundered parties labored. Ruby could not bear for anything like that to happen. The very possibility of losing Henry's trust petrified her.

There was hope, however, that having lived under the same roof for so long would count in her favor, for over the years they had spent too much time together for Henry to seriously entertain such baseless assumptions. Save for Granny and Regina, Henry knew her better than just about anyone, knew what kind of person she was, and how much she loved Regina. Of course, that also meant that he was aware of how she felt about her condition, particularly as pertaining to spreading it to others.

Once, Henry had confessed to overhearing a conversation between Ruby and Regina during which his mother made it abundantly clear that she did not wish to ever become a werewolf. It was clear to Ruby that he had been afraid something along that vein might happen, so she had given him her solemn oath that she would never turn his mother. It was an oath she took seriously and she had thought he understood that.

Still, however much it would hurt to find out Henry thought her capable of subverting her own vow in order to turn Regina against her will, Ruby could not afford for any doubts to come between them now, not when Regina needed their combined support to see her through this latest crisis.

His brows drawn together in contemplation, Henry chewed his lip for a moment before glancing up at Ruby. "I know. I believe you," he then replied, fixing her with a trusting smile that instantly calmed her fears. He then turned to his grandfather, leveling his eye upon the older man with evident curiosity and no small measure of trepidation for his mother's health. "So, grandpa, since it's clear Mom is not a werewolf, how is it possible that wolfsbane is hurting her? I thought it only affected them. And secondly: can you counteract it?"

Rumple nodded sagely to the pointed inquiry. "You're quite correct, lad. In the Enchanted Forest, wolfsbane is indeed a targeted poison meant specifically for werewolves, although it is a very different herb than the one found in this world. Where this person was able to procure such an amount, I am unsure, as even I do not have access to it. But to answer your question: yes, I can indeed draw out the poison and heal Regina's wound to a sufficient degree that her own magic will easily take care of the rest."

As if sensing Ruby was about to pounce on the unanswered question Henry had posed as well as her own, Rumplestiltskin turned to regard her with a lopsided smile that turned her stomach. She hated the way he always seemed to know what she was going to ask before she asked it, as if he could peer into her thoughts or somehow otherwise decipher them. It was an eerie, creepy, and disconcerting ability that tended make her skin crawl.

"Have no fear, Miss Lucas," he then said. "No one else has turned her either. Regina is most definitely, 100 percent human."

"So what's wrong with her then?" she asked, unable to help herself even though she knew he was about to reveal the explanation. For obvious reasons, she always felt compelled to steer the conversation where Rumplestiltskin was involved – shady dealings and clever wordplay and all that.

He gave another smirk. "The reason for her affliction is that the wolfsbane is not affecting her directly."

From beside Rumple, Ruby saw Victor's eyes bulge almost comically. With that last strangely shaped piece, his razor sharp mind had instantly assembled the pieces of the puzzle. Being exhausted from worry and stress, she was a bit slower on the uptake than her highly intelligent friend.

"What does that even mean?" she pressed, glaring harshly at the ever-evasive trickster that was incapable of being direct unless it suited him. "For once in your damn life, just stop with the games and answer plainly."

Rumple rolled his eyes in exasperation at her exasperation, and it struck Ruby funny. Perhaps, she mused, Regina had picked up the infuriating habit from him. If so, she wondered what other tics and quirks Regina had picked up from her former mentor, answering her own question with the thought that there were likely more than she would like to be aware of. The less she thought of Rumplestiltskin while looking at Regina the better, so ignorance in this case was bliss.

As it was, Ruby wanted very much to slap that exasperation right off of his face, but refrained since she knew it would get her no closer to the answers she so desperately desired.

"It means, Miss Lucas, that Regina is not a werewolf," he then said, restating the obvious with a sarcastic tint meant to provoke Ruby further. In response, her frustration swelled until she almost lost her cool, but when he held his hand up to stop the impending verbal assault, she swallowed down her harsh rejoinder. "However," he continued, and quite unaffected by her displeasure, dropped the bomb, "she _is_ carrying one." To emphasize his declaration in a most dramatic way that only he could manage, Rumplestiltskin pointed to Regina's abdomen with a flourish.

After that shocking announcement the room fell into such silence that a patter of water dripping to the floor would have sounded like Niagara Falls. Standing unsteadily for a moment with her mouth agape, Ruby eventually collapsed into her chair when her legs began to feel too much like jelly to hold her upright.

Lost for words, she stuttered out, " _W-what_? You...you can't mean...can you?"

"Yes," he confirmed in a succinct way that to Ruby kind of felt like ripping the band-aid off a tender wound. "Regina is with child," he then elaborated, drawing out the sensation so that in paradoxical fashion – and much like the metaphor in reality – it smarted with relief. "More specifically, your child, Miss Lucas."

Ruby sat dumbstruck, sure she was wearing the look of a person who could no longer make sense of anything at all, rather like a calf looking at a new gate. She was so confused, bewildered, and excited all at the same time that she could barely form a coherent thought.

Running a hand roughly through her hair, she took in a shaky breath. Regina was pregnant. With _her_ child. It should not be possible. Other than the glaringly obvious fact that they were both women and lacked half of the proper parts to make that particular brand of all natural magic happen, Ruby remembered something Regina had once informed her of – about a certain potion she had taken long ago.

Because she was perplexed and it was what was on her mind at the moment, Ruby decided to tackle the issue of Regina's infertility first before addressing the even more absurdly gigantic elephant in the room. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't think it's possible. She told me she took a potion when she was younger that stripped her of the ability to bear children."

Rumple hummed. "You're referring to when she thought her mother was after her to produce a child," he replied. It was a statement more than a question, but Ruby nodded anyway.

With a deep frown, he then glanced at Regina as if trying to make sense of how she could be pregnant after rendering herself barren. After contemplating things for a moment, his face slackened. Clearly he had come to a conclusion.

"While I cannot say with complete certainty until I speak to Regina," he then said, "I believe I can shed some light as to how this happened, and in a much broader scope than your inquiry. You see, while most such potions only require simple magic and various ingredients to brew them correctly, the type of mixture Regina ingested often involves curses. And as you know, any curse can be broken."

Henry gasped as he made the connection. "True Love?"

"I believe so," his paternal grandfather replied, leaning both hands upon his cane.

Letting out an awed breath, Henry's eyes danced with happiness. "Ruby! It was you!"

Wearing her surprise, Ruby held her hand to her chest, still baffled due to her mind whirling around like a top that seemed to be picking up speed rather than shedding it. Her near constant state of confusion of the past minute or so had her feeling more daft than usual, a somewhat humiliating accomplishment. "Wha...huh? Me?"

"Yes, you!" Henry grinned, almost giddy with excitement. "Don't you see? You and Mom have True Love. It's what broke her curse _and_ made the baby!"

For the second time in almost as many minutes, Ruby felt as if she had been hit by a bomb, this time a bunker buster of immense proportions and yield. To say she was confounded would be a gross underestimation of the current surreal state she was experiencing. Reality had imploded...or exploded. Ruby could not quite tell. Instead of sitting in a hospital room in Storybrooke, Maine, she felt like she was floating through some kind of dream world in which left was right and right-side up was upside down and forward was nothing more than backward in reverse.

A potion-based curse? True Love breaking said curse? A True Love Baby? None of those things had even entered into her mind when Rumple declared wolfsbane as the poison afflicting Regina. In truth, she could not fathom how any of it could be happening.

After Peter died, Ruby all but gave up on ever finding True Love. As far as she was aware, that kind of bond with another person, as far as the romantic variety was concerned, only came once in a lifetime. Not once since meeting Peter all those years ago had she doubted that he was her one and only True Love, something she had still believed even after spending 3 years with a woman that stole her heart away more thoroughly than Peter ever could have. And not only that, she knew Regina felt the exact same way about Daniel.

But if Henry was as correct in his deduction as Rumplestiltskin was in his diagnosis, everything she had believed about True Love was about to change. For not only would she be forced to recognize that it could happen more than once to a person, but she would also be required to process the fact that it was strong enough to create life. That kind of information was earth shaking. The very notion of it was almost incredible to the point of ridiculousness, yet Rumplestiltskin did not seem to share her skepticism, for rather than looking amused or resistant to Henry's suggestion, he appeared calmly in agreement.

Focusing fully on the Dark One, Ruby silently besought him to confirm once and for all whether or not Henry's supposition was accurate.

"Henry is quite correct," he said, and to her genuine disbelief, she found no false emotions or pretenses written on his features, only a kind of sincerity she had never before witnessed in him. "There are spells to counter many curses such as Regina's, and though most instances of True Love do not possess the necessary...potency to bestow life, it is not altogether unheard of."

"How the hell does that even work?" Victor chimed in, looking perturbed to the point of offense. Ruby understood his confusion and even silently commended him for speaking out. Having been around magic all her life, and in a sense being magical herself, even she could not make sense of what she was being told. So as a man of science, it must seem like the ultimate in ridiculous notions that True Love could seed life from one person to another.

In response to Victor's contentious question, Rumple quirked his lips mysteriously. "How does any magic work?" he then posed, vague as always and evidently enjoying himself far more than was appropriate for the situation. "There are some things that even I cannot explain, Dr. Whale, but if it helps to ease your consternation, perhaps I can provide an analogy to help. Consider it this way: can a person solely by use of magic move an object from one location to another? Say...an apple, or even another person."

Victor nodded tightly. "Of course it can."

"Right, you are!" Rumple trilled, his brown eyes dancing. "Seeing then that magic can indeed transport matter across space, why can it not do the same with DNA?"

Pursing his lips, Victor stammered as he worked the explanation over in his mind. Blowing out a long breath, he crossed his arms over his chest. "I suppose it could. I see where you're going with that, and while fertilization is not so simple..." Trailing off, he sighed and then shrugged. "I can't say it's impossible."

"You have your answer then," said Rumple, appearing pleased with himself at having one upped Victor Frankenstein in a biological matter, albeit one with a magical component.

Still, Ruby was not quite so convinced. Not only did she not trust the Dark One, but she was also having problems processing the implausible actuality that Regina was pregnant with their child...a child which had been conceived of True Love of all things. It was mystifying to even contemplate.

"Are you _absolutely_ certain about this?" she posed once more, though it shamed her to have so little faith in the power of what she and Regina shared.

"Without a doubt," Rumple replied. "In any case, if my word will not suffice, Victor here can perform blood tests or an ultrasound if you like. It will only confirm my diagnosis: Regina is pregnant with your child, Miss Lucas."

Looking rueful, he tilted his head and tapped on his cane once on the floor before giving Ruby a toothy grin. His gold tooth shimmered in the piercing white lights of the hospital room. "So congratulations are in order, because you've managed the near impossible. It seems that what you share with the Queen is, indeed, extremely unique and powerful to have produced such life."

While Ruby believed the offer of congratulations was genuine, it still surprised her a great deal. She had long been operating under the assumption that there was no love lost between Rumplestiltskin and Regina, particularly after the mess that ensued after his banishment from Storybrooke. But even that aside, there were deep-seated issues between them from their past that had never been properly resolved.

Ruby knew from experience that for Regina, some of those wounds still festered. When Rumplestiltskin made his offer to teach Regina magic, she had been a broken and vulnerable young woman, a vessel fit to be molded into the shape he desired. And once she became his apprentice, he did nothing but manipulate her to suit his own purposes. To this day, whenever Regina spoke of him, Ruby could detect the subtextual resentment that lingered from the worst of his sins remaining unforgiven.

However, Rumple certainly appeared to harbor at least some affection for his former student, though Ruby could not say how deeply that affection ran and she was not about to trust him blindly because of it. She didn't have much choice in asking for his help, but she took every word he said with a healthy grain of salt. And that is why she picked up on something else in Rumple's tone and in his eyes that told her more was going on than met the eye.

Sitting up in her chair, she fixing him with a pointed stare. "You're hiding something. What is it that you aren't telling me?"

Rumple looked up to meet her eyes, his expression indicating he was unexpectedly impressed by her intuition. "I'm sure you're aware of the rules of magic, Miss Lucas, as everyone in this town should be."

"Sure," she replied, arms crossing over her chest as she repeated the rather worn out line. "All magic comes with a price. What of it?"

Rumple gestured to Regina, laying in the hospital bed, having come as close to dying as a person could and still be alive.

"This is that price," was his blunt explanation. "The reason why you never heard of two people creating a child out of True Love back in the Enchanted Forest is that in order to create life, magic must take life in return. In the extraordinarily rare cases in which the child survived to be born, the truth would be hidden to spare it undue pain at the truth behind its existence. For the bearer of the magically created life would be required to forfeit their own life in order to satisfy that cosmic demand for balance, and in most such cases, it was taken hastily."

Giving a glance to Whale, he turned back to Ruby with a grave expression. "Since the good doctor explained the situation to me, I'm sure he also informed you that Regina technically died on the operating table. Death is the price for the creation of life, and with magic there are no exceptions to the rules, even for our venerable Queen."

Henry weakly sat back in his chair at his grandfather's words. Ruby could feel his anxiety amplify by orders of magnitude right along with her own.

"Does that mean Mom is still going to die?" he asked, voice trembling as tears formed in his eyes.

Ruby's heart clenched. She needed to know the answer to that question as well, but part of her was equally desperate not to hear it so that she could remain ignorant and hopeful. But instead of looking grave, Rumple smiled gently at Henry and then shook his head.

"No. Dead is dead, Henry," he said to his grandson, voice warmer than Ruby ever remembered hearing it, which was strange considering the macabre subject. "In the Enchanted Forest, we did not have the technology that is so readily available to this world. Once a person's heart stopped, it never beat again. By the time a magician could be summoned, it would be far too late to even restart a heart magically.

"Thankfully, in this case, we have such means at our disposal. The price was paid in full when Regina's heart stopped on the operating table because she technically did die. Technology simply brought her back from death."

At this he looked straight at Ruby with sincerity and honesty that belied the malicious reputation he had once proudly cultivated as the Dark One.

"You see, the practice of magic is all about rules, and so long as they are merely bent and not broken outright, no further repercussions will be forthcoming. So the matter is settled. Regina will live and make a complete recovery. You get to keep your miracle."

"Oh thank God," Ruby gasped, letting out her breath with a whoosh. Beside her, she heard Henry echo her sentiments. After soaking in Regina's imminent recovery for a moment, she remembered what Rumplestiltskin had told them earlier and grabbed Henry's hands as she leapt out the chair.

"Oh Henry!" she exclaimed as she gathered him into a crushing hug. "We're gonna have a baby! Oh my God, I'm going to be a mom. How can this be happening?"

"Do I really need to explain the birds and the bees to you, Miss Lucas?" Rumple quite merrily quipped.

"Of course not," she retorted, rolling her eyes yet unable to wipe the grin off her face. But then she remembered the wolfsbane. "Is our baby okay? I mean, with the wolfsbane..."

"I assure you, the child is unharmed," Rumple preemptively assured her. "The reason why Regina is healing so slowly is that her inherent magic is protecting it. Fear not, dearie, they'll both be just fine. In fact, I'll see to that now if I may."

Ruby was overjoyed by the news and could not suppress her radiance as she nodded permission for Rumple to treat Regina. All that mattered to her was that Regina was going to be alright and that they were going to be adding a new member to their family.

"I could kiss you right now," she suddenly blurted out.

"Please don't. I'm a happily married man," Rumple quipped once again, Ruby's joy having apparently rubbed off on him to at least some degree.

After straightening himself, Rumple stretched his arms out above Regina's prone form, palms open downward. With a wave of his hands, his magic once again covered the recumbent Queen in a translucent purple mist. Ruby watched with anticipation as the magical cloud hovered over Regina's body, but worried when it appeared to be producing no effect.

"Is it working?" she asked after a moment of anxious observation.

"Patience, Miss Lucas," Rumplestiltskin replied, still waving his hands in slow, counter-directional circles.

Without warning, Regina's body violently tensed and her back arched off the bed. Fearing something was going horribly wrong, Ruby gasped and moved to approach, but Rumplestiltskin stilled her with a sharp look and a shake of his head. Just then, a green wisp of vapor began to emerge from Regina's stomach, dissipating into the magical cloud Rumplestiltskin had conjured. As the green vapor flowed into the mist, it began to mix with Rumple's magic until the cloud became a dark and sickly greenish yellow. When at last the green vapor stopped flowing from Regina's abdomen, she slumped back to the bed with an involuntary sigh of relief.

Dramatically snapping his fingers, Rumplestiltskin conjured a large glass tincture bottle and a stopper for it, placing them both carefully on the bed next to Regina's forearm. He then began waving his hands once again, and as he did, the cloud that hovered over Regina began to coalesce, thinning into a line that swirled from the base of the cloud as it was sucked into the container. The process of storing the material took less than twenty seconds, and after it was all collected, Rumple placed the stopper on the bottle then gave it an experimental shake.

"There, all done," he said, presenting the bottle with a flourish. It was filled with a green mist that glowed and pulsed in a discordant rhythm. "The poison has been extracted and the wound has been healed. Given a few hours of rest and with Dr. Whale's assent, she should be ready to go home."

With those words Ruby felt an instant release of the pressure in her chest that had been a constant companion since the call came in to the Station. At last and immeasurably reassured, she began to relax. She glanced at Regina again, already seeing evidence of her color returning, and Ruby couldn't help the smile that formed on her face.

However, as she was taking in her girlfriend's much improved complexion, she saw Rumple out of the corner of her eye, studiously examining the bottle which contained the poison extracted from Regina's body. He had a look on his face that immediately set her back on alert.

Clearing her throat, she caught his attention. "What are you gonna do with that?" she asked, pointing very deliberately to the bottle of poison.

Rumplestiltskin met her eyes with a thickly veiled expression that revealed nothing of his thoughts or intents. It made Ruby's insides squirm. Whatever it was he was thinking, it wasn't good.

"Why, dispose of it, of course," was his diplomatic answer, though Ruby was not nearly so gullible as to believe it.

It was no secret that Rumplestiltskin was an infamous collector of magical artifacts, and besides that, an alchemist of immense skill. With that poison in his possession, there was no telling what kind of nefarious concoctions he could produce, and in the back of her mind, she wondered if he might be holding on to it as some kind of leverage against her or Regina. The last thing Ruby needed was to be under Rumplestiltskin's thumb or on his hit list; she had heard way too many horror stories from Regina to ever allow herself to fall into that position, but it seemed he was considering that as a future possibility. The only reason she could surmise for his keeping the poison was that he perceived her as a potential threat, which Ruby thought to be nonsense, but who's to say what reasoning lurked in the mind of someone who had lived for so long and done so many horrible things as the reigning Dark One had.

Still, as the only known werewolf in Storybrooke, she supposed she could see how he might be wary of her. In her wolf form, she vastly overpowered him physically and in addition to that, she was also highly resistant to enchantments and magical bindings, which she had learned during after recovering memories of the time she had no control over the shifting. Many sorcerers had been consulted in the attempt to destroy her to no avail. Most wound up dead and eaten, and what few survived the encounters with the wolf ran away screaming never to be heard from again. And then after leaving home with Snow, she had sought all sorts of methods that would work to restrain her, but no bonds that were discovered, even those of a magical nature, could contain the power of the wolf.

So, it was possible that even the Dark One saw her as a legitimate threat, but the more likely scenario was, as she had first thought, that he intended to utilize the poison as leverage against Regina. If he could produce more of that potion, perhaps even concentrate it for increased effectiveness, he would have a means to both incapacitate and kill both Ruby and their child. The opportunity had presented a degree of leverage that he hadn't had over Regina in a long, long time, and it had to be very tempting to him when considering what he might be able to accomplish or gain wielding such power over Regina. Ruby's only question was whether or not he was strong enough to resist temptation. Due to his long line of failures in that department, she had her doubts.

Yet no matter what Rumplestiltskin's intentions were, Ruby would die before she allowed Regina fall under his sway again. But then again, what could she really do about it? She was in no position to demand that he return the poison, nor was he in any way likely to comply. And the last thing she wanted with Regina in such a state was a confrontation in her hospital room. So for now, she would have to shelve her misgivings and trust that Belle was right about him having truly changed. It was very difficult, to be sure, but she would have to manage. However, if his redemption wasn't genuine and he was just pulling the wool over everyone's eyes again as he had in times past, Ruby had a feeling that it would be her family that would pay the highest price.

Although she could not forcibly compel Rumple to surrender the potion, she could at least convince him to allow her the chance to scent it. Doing so was the only way she was going to track the person who attacked had Regina.

"Can I smell it first?" Ruby asked, eyeing the former Dark One carefully. "I just need to get a quick whiff. That won't hurt me will it?"

Tilting his head, Rumple regarded her with piqued interest. "Whyever would you want to do such a thing?"

Crossing her arms, Ruby huffed. "My reasons are my own. See? I can be a cryptic ass just like you. So answer the question: will it hurt me or not?"

For a brief second, Rumplestiltskin visually examined Ruby with such keen interest that she tensed in place, poised to spring into action if required. She guessed that he was attempting to deduce her motives, but wasn't about to take a chance of him having opportunity to use the poison against her, not with Henry in the room and Regina helpless. For nearly a full minute, his coal black eyes were fixed as they studiously worked over her face, until suddenly he gave her a look that indicated he had reached a conclusion as to the motive behind her rather strange request.

Shaking his head ruefully, he moved closer and extended the bottle out to her. "No, dearie," it was said with a smirk, "I don't believe it would harm you one bit."

With great caution in her movements, Ruby stepped close to Rumplestiltskin and took the bottle from his hand. She noticed funny look cross his face once she stepped near to him, but wrote it off due to her need for the information the poison could provide. Before uncorking the bottle waved it back and forth a few times to stir it up, then removed the top and held it up to her nose. Closing her eyes, she deeply inhaled one time and held the breath to allow the odor of the poison to register in her enhanced olfactory senses.

Wolfsbane was naturally the most prominent scent, but there were others that gave the poison a unique aromatic footprint. No one from the Enchanted Forest used the same combinations of oils for their coating poisons, which made them easy to track. So now that she had the scent, she would hopefully be able to follow the trail it had left back to the person who had assaulted Regina, and if she was very lucky, to the place where they had actually made the poison.

Once satisfied the smell was imprinted into her brain, Ruby corked the bottle and then handed it back to Rumple. The former Dark One took the proffered item between his thumb and index finger, then snapped the fingers of his free hand, causing it to disappear in a flash of purple smoke.

"Well, if that's all, then I'll be going," he then said as he moved toward the door. "I have much to attend to at the shop before I can go home to my wife and son." He was referring, of course, to Belle and their very precocious 2 year old, Cassandra.

After reaching the door, he paused to look at Henry, Ruby, and then Victor (who Ruby had almost forgotten was present) in turn.

Henry smiled warmly at his grandfather while Victor merely nodded, still shocked by what had transpired.

For her part, Ruby set aside her doubts for the moment. Whatever might come in the future of him having the wolfsbane, right now, she was sincere grateful for all he had done, having saved Regina's life, and with her, the life of their child as well. In so doing, like Victor, he had also saved Ruby, and that created a debt that she would never likely be able to repay.

"Thank you, Gold." Ruby hoped he could tell she meant it because she did.

"My pleasure, Miss Lucas," he answered with an appreciative nod, and then went on to address the underlying issues where Regina was concerned she was holding on to in the back her of mind. The man was always frighteningly perceptive. "Whatever issues have existed between Regina and I in the past, I do care about her. I always have."

"I know that and so does she, I think," Ruby admitted, somewhat against her better judgment. While she questioned his motives, she did know that he cared about Regina, though he had a very demented way of showing it. "This will go a long way towards proving it, though."

After giving her a firm nod of appreciation at the encouragement, Rumple replied, "I sincerely hope so. You've been good for her, dearie. She's happier than I've ever known her to be, and I, for one, would like her to stay that way. I know you share those sentiments, but I don't think you've fully realized yet that Regina's continued happiness is wholly dependent not only upon Henry's, but upon your own as well. Therefore, you must be careful to stay safe. Having said that, may I give you a friendly piece of advice before I depart?"

Cocking her head to the side, Ruby's eyebrow lifted with a curious tilt. "What's that?"

As she waited for him to respond, she studied the older man's face and was taken aback by the genuine concern for her well being she saw there. She had never imagined that he would ever give her a second thought, but perhaps she had misjudged him all of these years. Of course, it could also have been her imagination from being so stressed out about Regina and then flabbergasted-slash-elated about the baby.

"Beware the road you're contemplating traveling down," he began in a sagacious tone, veiling his implications knowing that Henry was intently listening in on their conversation. "You are not the first to feel the way you do right now. There have been many before you who have tread the very same path that now lies before you. Most of the time, despite their noble intentions, those who chose to follow it never found what they were looking for. And what they do find...well, suffice it to say they wound up wishing they hadn't. You're a good person, Miss Lucas, so do try to keep that in mind."

Ruby didn't need a translator to understand the point Rumplestiltskin was making, for with the notable exception of Henry, she was standing in a room of people who were well acquainted with the concept of vengeance. In fact, she lived with and was in love with a woman who had once set an entire kingdom on fire in pursuit of it. Knowing all that she did, Ruby was not so foolish as to be unaware of the very slippery slope revenge could put a person on, but if a temporary fall into darkness or a mark on her soul was the asking price to see the person who had dared to hurt Regina be justly punished, she was more than willing to pay it.

Even so, she took a moment to consider Rumple's advice, and after thinking things through again, was drawn to the same inevitable conclusion as she had been earlier. It was up to her alone to catch the person who stabbed Regina; no one else was as as equipped to deal with any potential threat the perp might pose, and from her perspective, no one else that was capable of dispensing justice had more of a right to it.

With Regina out of commission, it fell to Ruby to act on her behalf. And though she was sure that given time Emma and David could handle it, time was a luxury that she did not have. Every moment that most odious person remained free was a torment to both her and her wolf, whose thirst for satisfaction was growing stronger with the passage of each minute.

Furthermore, when Rumple revealed that the toxin affecting Regina was wolfsbane, Ruby had immediately discerned the implication that she had been the intended target all along. Regina was not even supposed to have been at home at the time. Normally she was at work when Ruby arrived home in the early afternoon, so whoever had attacked Regina was gunning for her and not her girlfriend. Realizing that forced Ruby to confront her culpability in Regina's near death, and now that she also knew their unborn child would have perished along with her, the guilt was consuming Ruby one inch at a time. Was irrational? Yes, but she was now far past the point of reason.

Had she been afforded the luxury of waiting for Emma and David to solve the case, Ruby supposed the heated desire for retribution might not have been so overwhelming, eventually cooling to the point that a conscience and logic would prevail. Sadly, she did not have the luxury to wait around. The evidence left behind from the assault was fading away by the second, and behind the still-closed door of her mind, the wolf was literally clawing and howling in demand for release. It was only a matter of time before she broke free on her own, and if that happened, Ruby would lose herself to her more feral nature. Because she couldn't allow that to happen, she was going to have to act while she still had agency over her decisions.

"Thanks for your concern. I'll certainly keep what you said in mind," Ruby finally replied, having weighed his advice against her decided course of action. She saw in the former Dark One's aged eyes that he was aware she had chosen not to heed him, but to his credit, he withheld judgment.

"Very well, Miss Lucas," he nodded. "Good luck."

After that, Rumplestiltskin looked to Henry who still sat in his chair, now focused completely on his mother, who was looking much more like herself already. The teenager gave no indication that he had understood what had just transpired between Ruby and Rumple, but Ruby knew better than to underestimate him. She would have to be honest with Henry. She owed him that much.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Henry," said Rumple, "and thank you for trusting me."

Before Gold could leave, Henry ran over and flung his arms around his grandfather in a childlike manner that belied his age. "No. Thank _you_ , Grandpa," the young man exclaimed with such gratitude and affection that Ruby saw tears form in aged, life-hardened eyes.

Henry tended to have that kind of effect on people, bringing out the best in everyone, even the former Dark One himself it seemed. The sight of the two embracing had more of an effect on Ruby than she would have thought possible where Rumplestiltskin was concerned, today seemed a day full of surprises, and all things considered, this was a good one.

"You're very welcome, my boy," Rumple whispered, echoing the endearment he had reserved for Henry's father and his precious, oft-remembered son, Baelfire.

Once Henry unlatched himself from his grandfather, Rumplestiltskin turned to exit the room, but stopped short to look at Ruby one last time. "When she wakes, please relay my congratulations to Regina. Tell her that I'm truly happy for her."

"Tell her yourself," Ruby answered, warmth seeping into her voice and hoping that he picked up on the tentative olive branch, small as it was.

It appeared that he did, as he tilted his head in a gesture of appreciative acknowledgment with a sincere smile on his lips. "I'll do that," he said and with that, turned and departed.

"I'll be going as well since things are well in hand here," Victor then said, turning to the door himself, but Ruby was not about to let her friend get away without thanking him once more. He more than deserved it.

After rushing over to stop him in a similar manner as Henry had done for his grandfather, she gathered Victor into a tight embrace that she hoped adequately conveyed her feelings of gratitude.

"Thank you again, Victor," she spoke softly into his ear. "I won't ever forget what you did for us today."

Pulling back, Ruby gazed sincerely at the man the world knew as Dr. Frankenstein, but who in reality was simply a misunderstood person. Whatever the world thought of Victor Whale, Ruby knew him to be a good man, and much like Rumplestiltskin, she found herself in his debt. Somehow she would find a way to try and repay him, even if it was just by being his friend.

"If you ever need me, I'm here," she told him. "What you did today was incredible. I'm proud to call you my friend."

In response to her warm words, Victor smiled almost shyly. Ruby knew he was unused to hearing such compliments, but she hoped to change that in the future. "Thanks, Ruby, it means a lot. And I'll remember your offer. Don't think I won't." At that, he winked playfully.

Ruby laughed and smacked him on the arm. "See that you do, Frankie."

After one last wry grin, Victor then exited the room as well, leaving Henry and Ruby alone with Regina. For the first time since Emma received the phone call at the station, Ruby felt like she could breathe again, but despite that relief, somewhere deep down in a place she was inclined to disregard, she had a niggling feeling that things were about to get worse. Sadly, she couldn't possibly have begun to imagine how tragically correct that feeling would soon prove to be.


	8. Unhappy Reunions

**AN** **:** 10/27/17 - Continuity fix on Henry's age, so _very_ helpfully pointed out by a guest account on ch13. I might have said thanks personally if you took as much time to register an account as you did to mockingly criticize an error.

 **Chapter 7** – Unhappy Reunions

After Victor's departure, Henry gave Ruby a loaded look before an infectious grin suddenly spread across his face. Ruby couldn't help but return it.

With how much tension and fear the young man had endured since Regina's stabbing, she was pleased to see his enthusiasm return, especially seeing as the source of that joy was also her own. But whereas Ruby's happiness at learning of Regina's pregnancy was dampened by grim circumstance and by a creeping fear of the unknown as to what kind of response Regina would have, Henry was still young and far less jaded by the world, which made him more apt to embrace good news in the midst of trouble whenever and however it came. And this news, she knew, was of special interest to him.

For the longest time, Henry had been dropping hints that he wouldn't mind so much being an older brother, and though the comments were mostly directed at his younger mother, Emma, Regina had not been spared the occasional offhanded remarks cast in her direction bemoaning his lack of siblings. Because Regina would much prefer to avoid such uncomfortable discussions, she tended to blatantly ignore or casually dismiss his concerns, something Ruby could not do.

Truth be told, she felt bad for the kid. With Emma thus far adamantly refusing to discuss the possibility of having more children and Regina having proclaimed herself done in that regard as well, Ruby had believed the chances of his wishes ever coming true were slim. But since those hopes did not seem unreasonable to her, she felt it would be callous to extinguish them forever, so she always attempted to leave him with at least a margin of hope to cling to that Emma might one day change her mind – and she only ever mentioned Emma because she didn't think Regina would ever change hers.

That he was 17 now and able to deal with being let down in a mature way was inconsequential to her. Henry's optimism was of the kind that reminded Ruby of Snow when she was younger and more fearless with her heart, when she was the friend that stood by Ruby when no one else would, who was Ruby's companion and confidante when she'd felt otherwise alone in the world. Snow's encouragement, her relentless faith that even the bleakest night would be broken by the rising of the sun, had carried Ruby through some of the worst times of her life. The world needed people like Snow and Henry to be that sunshine piercing through the darkness or else life would be intolerable.

Many times since those days on the run with Snow, Ruby had asked herself whether or not she would have made it through without her friend's bright outlook on life. Though she couldn't be certain as to exactly how her life might be different if that were the case, she _was_ sure that it would be remarkably worse. In all likelihood, without Snow to buffet the darkness, Ruby would have succumbed to her mother's influence and become a hedonistic werewolf whose life was as short as it was intense. So from her perspective, that she was still alive today, that she had found her happy ending with Regina and Henry, was owed to Snow's influence. Having that experience gave Ruby a perspective on Henry that perhaps his mothers didn't have, thus she took every opportunity to nourish his positive attitude, and determined in herself to shield it from destruction as long as she could.

Yet whereas Henry appreciated her efforts, his mother did not. More than once, Regina had complained privately to Ruby that she was only encouraging him, giving him false hope, and that she shouldn't do that because it was cruel, which was kind of humorous in a sad way, since Ruby felt the opposite was true. The topic, Regina further insisted, was a minefield she wanted no part in wading through, for as far as she was concerned, adopting Henry had satisfied her desire to be a mother. She was, as a consequence, uninterested in adding to their family, which had been okay with Ruby. Really.

Since learning long ago of a few very pertinent details regarding her 'affliction', she had given up the idea of having kids of her own. Passing on her genes to another generation seemed to be unconscionable knowing that they came laden with traumatic transformations and emotional scarring that could not be avoided. But that did not mean she did not want children at all. Even now she harbored an intensely secret desire to experience pregnancy for herself, to feel her child growing inside her, being nourished and protected by her own body, by her own essence, and at her own willing expense. That maternal instinct had never died, she just did not want to bring a child into the world knowing beforehand that it would suffer as she had.

And yet, she also understood where Henry was coming from. He wanted siblings because he was tired of being an only child, and seeing that she was an only child herself, she sympathized with his position. Being the constant center of attention for parents or guardians could make for a lonely and demanding existence that was laden with wearisome expectations often thrust upon a person at a tender age when they are unsuited to coping with them. And when all of the family's hopes and dreams were pinned on that one child, the weight of those burdens often became suffocating to the point that they stifled even the illusion of freedom of choice. Or at least it had felt that way to Ruby.

As a child, she had felt Granny to be overbearing at the best of times, and nearly insufferable at the worst. And though Granny insisted that her harsh intractability was for Ruby's own good, Ruby had learned to resent her grandmother's domineering ways much more than she would have had the cantankerous old woman been more reasonable. That word, however, was not in the elder Lucas' dictionary, and thus her stringent assertion of control over Ruby's life through various means, typically taking the form of chores heaped upon chores to keep Ruby constantly busy and rules that governed nearly every aspect of her life. From limits on her recreational time to ridiculous curfews, Granny laid down the law in their home, especially with the most important rule of all: an unwavering demand that Ruby never, ever under any circumstances remove her red cape if the full moon was out.

As was obvious after the tragedy with Peter, part of the reason why Granny acted that way was because of the whole werewolf thing, but Ruby had also felt that Granny was attempting to fix her own mistakes vicariously by drilling her into becoming an overly cautious and isolated individual. Because of that, Ruby spent most of her life without friends and with a very narrow view of the world that left her completely unequipped for the trials that lay ahead. And had it not been for Peter's hardheaded approach to courting, she wouldn't have even known what romantic love was like until Regina came along. It took years for Ruby to understand that Granny was so austere _because_ she loved her and wanted more for her than she had for herself, but knowing that didn't change the fact that Ruby spent the formative years of her life yearning for a chance to have agency over her own life.

It came as no small relief that Granny had mercifully eased up on her over the years, but there were still times in which Ruby got fixed with that laser beam stare indicative of Granny's desire for her to reach for more, for her to apply herself more fervently to her pursuits to get ahead in life. And honestly, she tried.

Nearly everyone in Storybrooke could corroborate that she worked her ass off at the Diner and that she was the best damn waitress in northern Maine, but Ruby was not and had never been a professionally ambitious person. Sure, her cursed self had secretly dreamed of leaving town and moving to New York, perhaps to become an actress or a model, but she'd always known in her heart of hearts that those were the pipe dreams of a caged young woman whose shoulders were tired of bearing responsibilities she hadn't asked for or chosen for herself. If being a waitress had indeed been her lot in life, she would have ultimately been okay with that so long as she found fulfillment elsewhere.

When the Curse broke, Ruby was quite surprised to learn that those feelings were not merely the inventions of Regina's ultimate revenge, but were actually her own. And though she'd had to shelf that revelation for a while due to the craziness that followed, when Snow and the gang left for Neverland to rescue Henry, she revisited it. During that time, she did a great deal of soul searching, delving deep within herself to get to the root of why she felt that way. What she found nearly knocked her on her ass.

Looking back over her life in retrospect, she could finally see that she had never been permitted to live as she wished. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she had been dominated by Granny's iron will, and then in her early adulthood she had willingly subjected herself to Snow, casting aside everything for the sake of her only friend. To her dismay, she became aware that she had lived her entire life at the beck and call of others, always putting their demands or needs or dreams or desires ahead of her own. Becoming aware of her egregious lack of agency had lead her to a crossroads, each fork leading down paths that were as foreign as they were frightening and exhilarating, and to her shame, with no one to tell her which to choose, she languished in indecision.

It wasn't until that day in the Diner when Regina walked in looking for all the world like a woman about to cave in on herself that Ruby finally chose her path, finally decided to do something for herself. On that day, she chose to be Regina's friend, and then later on she chose to be Regina's lover, and then at the last, most critical stage, she chose to be Regina's partner in life. Those choices, while not the monumental, life-altering ones Granny had painstakingly prepared her for since she was small enough to remember or even those Snow had envisioned for her as they sat on her bed in the palace braiding each others hair, belonged to Ruby and to her alone. Because of that, she cherished them with all of her heart.

Unlike most people, Ruby didn't need to rise to the top of the corporate world after scratching, clawing, and climbing her way there over the metaphorical corpses of her competitors. She didn't need to take the world by storm through her talents and then revel in the praise and glory of being famous to vindicate her life. To her, loving Regina was her greatest triumph and the best decision she could have ever made for herself. The life they had built together was so much more than enough for her, far beyond any satisfaction that gold or silver or money could buy. There was not a moment with Regina, whether high or low, painful or wonderful, that she would trade for anything the world could offer in return.

Deep down in her core, Ruby was a simple woman, always had been and always would be, and this aspect of her character was something that Regina both understood and accepted. Somehow, by some miracle, in spite of her flaws and in spite of her lack of ambition to conquer the world, Regina respected her enough to never question her choices or her contentment with the simple things life. That this was true is what made Ruby so sure that Regina loved her. For how else could a woman who had fought so long and hard to make it where she was hitch her star to waitress with a dead end job and no aspirations to change that? It was nonsensical, but true.

Regina had literally no logical reason to love her, and yet she did, which is why it hurt so much that Granny did not always feel the same. For even though Granny tried to hide it, Ruby would occasionally see those flashes of veiled disappointment in her that she hadn't put herself out there, hadn't made something of herself yet. Without asking for permission, Granny had put her eggs in Ruby's basket, and in turn, Ruby had tripped up, fell flat on her face, and crushed them all. That was how those looks made her feel.

It should come as no surprise then that she was well acquainted with the kinds of pressures that came along with being an only child. A parent's disappointment could rend all confidence from a child if not tempered with love. Thankfully for Ruby, she was certain that Granny loved her as fiercely as she had protected and controlled her, which was the only thing that kept her from developing an unhealthy bitterness toward the woman.

And as far Henry was concerned, well, he had plenty of other family to make up for his sibling deficit – including Neal, who served as a pseudo-sibling, though it was still not the same. But now he would have the opportunity that she had never been given, and she was glad for it.

All of the sudden feeling overwhelmed as events caught up with her, Ruby plopped back down into her chair with Henry following suit shortly thereafter. After the stress of the day, she needed a moment to bask in the warm, welcoming relief of knowing Regina would recover, which was only enhanced by the news that they were going to have a baby. For the five or so minutes they sat in silence, Ruby did just that, taking the time to imagine what the kid might be like.

Would he or she be tall like her or short like Regina? Brown hair or black? Green eyes or brown? Would the baby inherit Regina's exotic complexion or favor her own pale one? Whatever the physical traits, Ruby was sure the child would develop into a fine athlete, as both she and Regina were gifted in their own ways. Perhaps then she could teach her son or daughter to play soccer or basketball or instill in them a healthy appreciation of running. To a hyperactive person like Ruby, the possibilities were exciting.

And what about personality? Seeing how different she and Regina were in temperament meant that was one area that was a total wild card. It could be that their child would grow up to be severe and calculating like Regina, yet it was just as likely that they would be fun loving and free spirited like she was. It was even possible that a more balanced personality might emerge, a delicate combination of their disparate natures that was greater than the sum of its parts.

But truth be told, the more Ruby thought about it, the less the details mattered. Every combination of herself and Regina she pictured seemed to be perfect, and she knew that no matter what came of the genetic lottery that made this miracle possible, she would love her child with every last fiber of her being. So as long as the baby was healthy, she eventually concluded, the rest could come what may.

"Is it just me, or does it feel like we've lived a lifetime in a day?" Henry finally asked, breaking the moment of delightful musing. He slumped back into his chair with a tired sigh and then ran a hand through his already messy brown hair. Once settled against the thin cushions lining the surfaces of the chairs, he tilted his head back and allowed his eyes to shutter closed.

"It's definitely not just you," Ruby answered, crossing her legs as she followed suit to relax as much as possible in the uncomfortable hospital chairs. When Henry's eyes cracked open a second later, he turned his head to look at her and she shot him a rueful smile. "I'm just glad I'm a werewolf and not a werecat," she added with good humor, "otherwise I might have lost half of my lives today."

Henry shared a laugh with Ruby at her statement, which she'd intended to cut through some of the residual tension. By the way his face lost almost all traces of stress, it appeared it have worked splendidly. Ruby was glad that her joking helped him, even if it was at her own expense.

But then Henry regarded her inquisitively through his smile and Ruby prepared herself for the onslaught of questions that were likely inbound. Although he had been humored by the joke, Henry was a naturally curious person, so she could tell her choice of words had also piqued his interest.

"Are there really werecats?" he asked as his eyes grew wide at the prospect of their potential existence.

"There are, actually," Ruby confirmed, amused by his expression. "Or, rather, there were."

"That's amazing!" he exclaimed, sitting up at attention and vibrating with curiosity. Even at 17, he still had that childlike enthusiasm for learning new things. She hoped he never lost it. It was one of the many special things that made Henry the amazing person he was. "Are they like werewolves but just cats?" he went on, eyes wide with excitement. "How big do they get? Are there any here in Storybrooke?"

"Whoa, there, slow down," Ruby replied, chuckling at his exuberance. "I can't say for sure what they're like, no one I know ever saw one. Granny told me once, though, that my Grandpa knew a werecat. Said he couldn't really tell her much, 'cause you know how cats are, right? They like their secrets. But from what he did tell her, they're like werewolves in as many ways as they're different. Ambiguous, I know, which is unfortunate. Oh, and while not really relevant to your question, one other thing he mentioned was that his acquaintance had a particular fondness for boots and hats with feathers in them."

Ruby paused for a moment and when she did, Henry looked at her in anticipation, beckoning her with her eyes to continue. She smiled and obliged him.

"As to whether or not any are in this world with us, I don't know. As I've told you before, back before the curse, the werewolf population was severely endangered. We'd been hunted into hiding for over a century by the time I was born. In fact, there were only a handful of packs left in Snow's kingdom by the time she took the throne again.

"But last I heard, the werecats were in even more dire straights, which always struck me as strange because according to what few legends that still circulated, they were said to be less dangerous and much more apt at staying hidden than werewolves. In any case, I never heard tale of a werecat being encountered in the Enchanted Forest during my lifetime, so I doubt any of them made it here. And even if they did, neither me or your mom know anything about them."

"Well, that sucks," was Henry's dejected reply.

It was obvious in his demeanor that he had been greatly anticipating meeting a shape-shifter of another species. As the only true shape-shifter in Storybrooke to date, Ruby shared in his disappointment. It would have been nice to know for a fact that she was not alone in her ability to change form, even if the company was of the feline variety.

"It would have been so cool to meet one," Henry continued, cutting through Ruby's musings, "but at least we know there's going to be another werewolf in town sometime in the near future."

At the mention of the baby's inherited condition, Ruby's high spirits were tempered like a molten blade thrust into water. She tried not to let the heaviness of the ensuing emotions show on her face since the last thing she wanted to do was give Henry the wrong impression about how she felt. He already believed she was excited about the baby, and she didn't want to extinguish that belief. But while there was no denying that she was genuinely happy, she was also a realist.

Regardless of how pampered and protected he or she would be, her unborn child had a tough life ahead, and it pained Ruby that there was little she could do to shield them from it. Sure, she could be there to instruct the kid on how to control the wolf, even encourage them to embrace it so they didn't struggle as badly as she had, but she couldn't live through the transition for them. That harrowing experience was something her child was going to have to face on their own.

Despite the obvious perks, it wasn't easy being a werewolf, especially when the enhanced senses first emerged and the compulsion to shift began in earnest. And while it was certainly true that Ruby's personal experiences as an adult werewolf would be of great benefit in preparing her child for the binary world they were going to inhabit, it was equally true that she had hardly any practical knowledge of what it was like to go through the age of transition from human to werewolf in a natural manner.

During her time with her mother's pack, Ruby had been able to glean a few tidbits of information that shed some light upon what it was like, and she had also learned things here and there during her travels with Snow. But because Granny still kept many secrets, for the most part she remained ignorant of the process. The one piece of information she _had_ discovered was that most individuals began to enter in to it around the age of puberty.

To Ruby, it made sense that this was the case due to the fact that the body was already undergoing changes during that time. It logically followed that the transition into a werewolf would hijack that time of physical upheaval in order to properly manifest. Unfortunately for her child (though somewhat fortunately for her), she had gone through puberty just like any other human girl, so the best she could do was to imagine what it might feel like, and that was a pale substitute for practical experience. That being the case, there was little she could do to guide her child through what was likely to be the most trying time in their young life, and it was all thanks to the (in)famous red cloak responsible for her moniker.

Whether she felt grateful to her grandmother or resented her for having been so detrimentally overprotective generally depended on the day. On most days, she found herself glad that she hadn't been forced to endure changing for the first time at such a tender and impressionable age. But now that she was facing the prospect of being a mother to a child of her own, she wished that Granny had chosen to train her rather than shelter her, if only so that she would know what to say and do to best help her child.

But Ruby didn't know what to say nor did know what to do, and her lack of experience in that critical area of development left her feeling inadequate to the task ahead. It felt almost as if it were a foregone conclusion that she would fail to be of any service to her own flesh and blood, and with that inadequacy came fear, and with fear came irrationality.

In order to stem that dangerous tide, Ruby reminded herself that she also had at least a decade to prepare, which mercifully seemed to alleviate her anxiety to a small but noticeable degree. Yet as unpredictable as the future remained, she couldn't help but be troubled by what it might hold.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," she finally replied to Henry after having emerged from her troubled thoughts. She noticed that he was looking at her worriedly and crooked an eyebrow.

Henry peered back at her through discerning eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she drawled with a marginally steady voice. When he looked skeptical, she added, "really, I am. I'm just dealing with some silly worries about the future. It's not important right now, though. What's important is that your Mom is gonna be okay. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm over the moon about the baby, but more than anything else right now, your mom is my primary focus. I _need_ her to be okay."

"Hey, I'm with you," Henry replied, turning his head to fondly regard Ruby. When he stretched out one of his hands and covered Ruby's with it, she grasped tightly to the offer of comfort. "But don't worry. Both Grandpa and Dr. Whale said Mom will be fine, so she will be. I have faith."

In the face of Henry's patently positive way of seeing things, Ruby finally felt some of her tension release. Meeting his eyes with fond gratitude, she squeezed his hand. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."

"Anytime," he nodded, looking pleased to have helped. Shifting in his seat, he eyed the ceiling for an expansive moment as if allowing the craziness of the day to fade away. Ruby watched as what little stress he had been holding on to visibly melted away, and after taking in a deep breath, he then turned back to her with a gentle and contented expression on his face. "I'm really happy about the baby, Ruby," he said, his happiness shining through.

"Yeah?" Ruby asked, sprouting a hopeful smile.

"Of course!" he insisted, grinning crookedly. "I get to be the cool older sibling now, kinda like Emma is with Neal."

Ruby chuckled at his comparison, her eyes regaining a measure of their twinkle. "God that kid loves his sister, doesn't he? Sometimes I think he'd sell his mom and dad down the river if she asked him to."

Henry echoed Ruby's mirth. "I think you're right. But believe me, the feeling is mutual, which is kinda strange considering how Emma was at first."

"She was a bit standoffish, wasn't she?" Ruby added half-rhetorically, thinking back to those days.

When Neal was born, Emma had initially put up a good front of affection, but she had fooled neither Ruby nor Henry. Ruby hadn't been able to pinpoint the exact cause of her friend's unexpected reaction, but she had guessed that it was either because of the memories his name evoked or the more obvious reason: that Emma felt he was a threat to her tentative place in her parents lives.

After 28 years on her own, Emma was an old pro at hiding her feelings, especially from Snow and David, but she couldn't hide them from Ruby's keen perception. On more than one occasion, Ruby had personally witnessed the suspicion in Emma's eyes whenever she was around Neal, and the almost frightened hesitance when she held him. She never said anything about it, but it concerned her nonetheless.

For a while there she worried that Emma might build up an insurmountable barrier between herself and her baby brother, but that changed after Emma's unscheduled trip to the past. Whatever had happened during that experience – aside from what little she had revealed – to produce such a dramatic shift, Emma came back home more secure of her place in the family. As such, she was finally able to open her heart to the newest member of the family. The bond that soon formed between the two siblings would prove to be an unbreakable one.

After that, Emma took every opportunity to babysit her brother, often joking that it was as close to having another kid as she was willing to get. Ruby wondered how serious those proclamations could be considering how natural and content Emma was with little Neal, but again, she withheld comments out of respect for Emma's position on the matter. Still, it was clear to anyone with eyes that Emma came alive with Neal in a way she never had before, as if he had provoked a return of that lost sense of innocence the world had beaten out of her, and it was equally clear that she loved her brother for it.

As for Neal, well, he simply adored Emma. Whenever Emma was around, the youngest Charming seemed to be in perpetual state of awe. In fact, whenever being held by her, Neal had this adorable way of grasping her face and touching her blonde hair in a way that made it appear he had touched the very heavens. So enamored was he of his big sister that he smiled his first smile for her and his first word had been her name. The look on Emma's face had been rapturous as she related that momentous event to Ruby, and it seemed to dim very little with each subsequent retelling.

As time passed and Neal grew older, that closeness increased until he and his older sister were at present as thick as thieves. It was a special relationship that warmed Ruby's heart to witness, for as much as Neal hero worshiped Emma, Emma cherished him just the same, and if Ruby had in say in the matter, that was what she wanted for Henry and his future sibling.

"She was, but she got over her issues," Henry replied to Ruby's comment about Emma and Neal. She noticed when his expression turned uncertain. "What I'm worried about right now is Mom. You know as well as I do what she says about having more kids, so there's not telling how she'll react. I mean, judging by your reaction, this was unplanned, and that's going to make it worse. Or am I wrong?"

"You're not wrong," Ruby answered, and her brow furrowed at the extremely heavy nature of his concerns. While she was confident in her belief that she knew Regina as intimately well as anyone ever had, sometimes even she had difficulty discerning what the tempestuous woman might do under unexpected circumstances.

It was possible that Regina could react in any number of ways, but then again it had been no different for herself. Ruby was pleasantly surprised that she hadn't been paralyzed with fear when she realized that her very unique genetics were going to be passed down to another generation. Yet, she hadn't been, which was kind of astounding considering how she had felt about the subject not long ago.

Returning to her thoughts from earlier, Ruby remembered a time in her life when she had sworn off the very possibility of ever having a biological child because of being a werewolf. Over the past few years, though, the possibility had began to lose its former repugnance. She had Regina to thank for that.

Rather than finding her condition a detraction as Ruby had thought she would, Regina simply accepted and loved her, including that part which was the cause of so much pain and shame in her young life. Furthermore, instead of encouraging Ruby to repress the wolf as Granny had or let its passions reign unchecked like Anita preached, Regina helped her to nurture the wolf and become tuned with her in a more complete way that balanced her divergent natures. After so long fearing what she was, it was almost wholly due to Regina's patient tutelage that Ruby felt at more peace with herself than ever before.

Time after time since they became a couple, Regina had made it abundantly clear that she had no desire to change Ruby, rather insisting that she liked Ruby just the way she was. To a person who had long suffered with self-image issues, it was immeasurably precious to have security in knowing the person you love loves you for who you are and not for who you could be or should be. Regina was the only person to ever give her that kind of unconditional love and support. That's not to say, however, that the intellectually curious woman Regina was hadn't also been intrigued by Ruby's unique gifts.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, it was an open secret that Regina had an almost unhealthy fascination with werewolves, so it came as no surprise that the former Queen had not been able to restrain her curiosity when they first began spending time together. Over the course of the few months they were "just friends", Regina inquired about all sorts of things, such as what it felt like to shift and how different it was to experience the world as a wolf. Seeing as how Regina was an inquisitive person who valued knowledge, Ruby hadn't been offended, nor had she thought much of the questioning beyond that. That is, until they started dating.

The fascination Regina held for the wolf did not abate at all once they became intimate, and to be frank it started to bother Ruby after a while. At times it had seemed like Regina was more interested in her as a werewolf than as a woman, and that was something that Ruby could not abide. She wasn't about to be someone's personal freak show.

When confronted about it, Regina stunned Ruby by confessing that she did not distinguish between the two. To her, the woman who once was Queen proclaimed with remarkable tenderness, the wolf was Ruby and Ruby was the wolf, and that was the way it was supposed to be. So in reality, she then summarized, getting to know the wolf was just a way of getting to know Ruby as a whole person.

Other than Regina, most people didn't seem to understand the integral connection she had with the wolf, relegating her influence only to a brief period each month. But that wasn't the case at all. The truth was much more complicated.

Even during the weeks far removed from Wolf's Time, she was not a normal person. For instance, she could _always_ feel her wolf, even when the moon was at its dimmest, which was the reason for her enhanced senses and physical strength. Also, she could still shape-shift when it was not Wolf's Time, it just required substantially more energy the further removed the date was from the full moon. That there was such a large collection of individuals who didn't really understand her condition – sadly including her own best friend – was pretty much her own fault.

While she was growing up, Granny had instilled such a fear in her of the dreaded werewolves that it carried on into her adulthood, and that she had killed Peter as the wolf didn't helped matters at all. After that emotionally traumatic ordeal, Ruby had spent so much of her time wallowing in guilt that it left a permanent imprint that learning to control the wolf could not completely erase, and since those feelings persisted beyond the Curse, she had remained skittish about openly discussing the wolf even with those she implicitly trusted.

Thus when in the company of others she would compartmentalize her alter ego as much as possible, which could make her seem snippy and standoffish at times depending on how riled up the wolf was. The effect was pronounced during the days surrounding Wolf's Time when she constantly on edge with the wolf so close to the surface. That she could smell the unease on those around her only exacerbated her internal tension, particularly when she was among friends who admirably tried to hide their wary glances but failed miserably. Imagine then, she would tell herself, how they would react should she reveal just how extensive the effects of the lycanthropy really were.

Before she had told Regina the truth, no one else besides Granny was aware that the wolf did not just magically show up a couple of days per month, but was instead a constant presence in her mind which could and did on occasion influence her behavior. That was the way she preferred it. She already had to deal with her friends handling her with kiddy gloves when the moon was full as if at any moment she might lose control and eat them all, so she was not about to subject herself to more of the same by cluing them in to reality. That they reacted in such a way in the first place arose doubts as to whether they really believed that she wouldn't hurt them as they claimed to, and she was not sure she could withstand learning how shallow her friends trust in her really was.

But unlike with others, Regina was openly approving of the wolf and completely unafraid, even when Ruby was fully under the sway of the moon and walking on four legs rather than two. The piercing yellow eyes of the wolf and her unbridled hunger rumbling in her chest did not scare away the Queen, rather they seemed to be a source of excitement, as if Regina reveled in the show of mystical power that Ruby surrendered to once a month. Regina was the first person who was not a fellow werewolf to openly accept her alter ego, and it relieved a burden from off of Ruby's shoulders that she had thought to carry all of her life.

After her mother died and the pack scattered, she'd thought to never find anyone who could understand her as both a woman and wolf, but Regina did, and to such a degree that Ruby felt free enough to develop an unparalleled unity with her wolf that she never quite could before. Where others might warn her away from pushing herself by experimenting with her abilities, Regina encouraged her, was always there to challenge her to do more, to run faster, to shift more seamlessly, to hone her senses to the razors edge and tap in to that feral nature that propelled the wolf relentlessly forward.

There were a few occasions Ruby pushed too far and succumbed to the wolf's control, but each time Regina was there to rein her back in, to draw the woman back out from beneath the sway of the beast. And when she came back to herself, a mess of fright and shivering in the cool air of the night, Regina was always there to bundle her up in a blanket and hold her tight until she was calm once again.

Regina made it feel okay for Ruby to be who she was without putting restraints on herself, but even though she was sure that Regina was more than comfortable with her being a werewolf, she couldn't begin to anticipate how her girlfriend would react to the knowledge that their baby would be one also. And of that there was no doubt. Firstly, it was confirmed because of how the wolfsbane reacted in Regina's body, which Rumplestiltskin had bluntly revealed. But also, Granny had once reluctantly confessed that contrary to legends, their condition was not only passed on through a bite from the wolf.

It was right after the tragic reunion with her mother that Granny sat Ruby down for that dreadful talk, and she had listened in horror as Granny explained that lycanthropy was hereditary as well. Without exception, she emphasized, any child born to a werewolf _always_ inherited the affliction, whether both or only one of the parents carried the condition. That information had rocked Ruby's already fragile world, for even though learning she was naturally born a werewolf had somewhat helped to reconcile herself to who she was, to an 18 year old girl with her whole life ahead of her, the knowledge that any potential children she bore would be werewolves as well was _devastating_.

Because Ruby was an only child raised in relative seclusion, she had dreamed of having a large family of her own. When she came of age to start thinking about marriage, she used to lay around in bed and imagine her future life with Peter, how they would build a home nearby on his parents' property and fill it full of love and laughter and three kids at the very least. Granny's words had irrevocably shattered those dreams.

After that, Ruby fled into the woods and wept, mourning for a life she would never have and children she would never give birth to, would never get to raise and nourish and love with everything she had. There would be no little girls with her mane of brown hair and sea green eyes for her to teach how to sew and hunt and forage, nor would there be sons for her to dote on, to guide and nurture into fine young men like their father who would no doubt make her proud. Watching those imaginary children vanish from her imagination was, other than Peter's death, the most bitter moment of her life.

Upon emerging hours later, the numbness that permeated down to her bones was something that Ruby would never forget. In departing the dark confines of the forest, she had left a once bright future behind buried within its inky depths, thinking it would never see the light of day again. The walk back to Granny's cabin that day had felt very much like she was departing from a wake, for in a way she had just laid her dreams to rest in the cold earth, and covered them up along with her ability to hope.

As painful as that experience had been, she rarely ever thought back to those old dreams and desires, but suddenly they were emerging once again having been brought back to life by a miracle she hadn't realizing she was praying for, but was with all of her heart. _Maybe_ , she thought, _they weren't so impossible after all._

Beginning to involuntarily worry her bottom lip at the weightiness of her thoughts, she caught Henry's gaze. "I don't know, kid," she answered his previous question with an uncertain tone of her own. While she wanted to be honest with him, she also wanted to shield him from her fears, so she decided to be careful with her answer. "I hope she's as happy as I am. I can't lie. I _really, really_ want her to be happy about this. Your mom is so good with kids, and I know she'll be incredible with this baby, but I just can't predict what her reaction will be."

Before Henry could respond, however, she fixed him with a discerning gaze. She hadn't missed the hint of insecurity in his question. "You say you're cool with being a big brother, but is that the truth or are you just humoring me?"

Rather than be offended, Henry shrugged and then smiled in a manner consistent with his go-with-the-flow attitude. Had she not known him so well, it would have been very convincing. "I meant what I said," he insisted. "I'm really happy Mom is getting this chance. I know she swore up and down she didn't want any more kids, but I could tell she did. She tries to hide it, but whenever she was around Neal as a kid, or even Cassie, her eyes lit up. They still do whenever she sees a baby."

That was a surprise to Ruby because she'd thought Regina was being serious when she made those claims. Apparently, Henry felt differently, and it gave her a measure of relief that perhaps Regina would not react as badly as she feared.

Still, having recognized the nearly imperceptible attempt to disguise his uncertainty with supportive words, Ruby sat up and reached across the short space between the chairs. She knew what he was worried about. Gathering Henry's hand in her own, she clutched it securely in an offering of comfort much as he had done earlier for her.

"You were always more than enough for your mom, Henry," she said. "And just because this baby is biologically hers doesn't mean she'll love you any less. I don't think it's possible for a mother to love their child more than she loves you. You know that, right?"

Henry nodded, shrugging once again, though this time in the bashful, yet nonchalant way teenage boys do when confronted with uncomfortable feelings. "Of course. I couldn't ask for a better mother. I know she loves me and always will. Mom has a big enough heart for all of us with room to spare."

It seemed sometimes that Henry would never cease to amaze Ruby. He was far beyond his 17 years of age in both wisdom and life experience. When he said things like that, it just reminded her of how special a young man he was. She felt extremely fortunate to be a part of his life.

"That she does, Henry, that she does," Ruby replied affectionately. "I know I don't say it a lot 'cause I'm kinda like Emma: the cool parental figure. But I'm proud of you, punk."

Henry chuckled as a crooked smile formed on his lips. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "Thanks, furball."

Laughing, Ruby shook her head at the cheeky retort. "You're lucky that I love you with the way you tease me." She was thinking, of course, of his favorite playful sobriquet for her, Olive Oyl. Ruby did not personally see the resemblance, but it never failed to elicit sniggers from Henry and uncharacteristic howls of laughter from Regina.

Henry grinned before redirecting his gaze to his mother lying so still in the hospital bed. His eyes held an open tenderness that Ruby rarely got to see anymore.

"I dunno, Rubes," he said, "I think we're both pretty lucky."

Taking a deep breath, Ruby took in the sight of Regina for herself. Her heart flooded with warmth. "We really are, aren't we?" The response was rhetorical, because truth be told, there wasn't a morning that she woke up to the sight of Regina's face that she didn't count herself the luckiest person alive.

Still hanging on to Henry's hand, Ruby allowed herself to luxuriate once more in the relief she felt. Even though Regina still looked rough, her recovery was now all but assured, and what's more, she was going to make Ruby a mother, something she had once written off as an impossibility. Up until that point her day had been utter rubbish, but suddenly things were looking remarkably more positive.

However, one thing yet remained for her to do and it weighed heavily on her conscience. Just behind the veil of her conscious mind, her wolf was restlessly stirring again, making itself known as a reminder of the task she had yet before her. When Henry cut his eyes over at her worriedly, she glanced down, noticing that she was gripping the arms rests of the chair overly tight and that her legs were fidgeting and bouncing almost constantly. To anyone else, she would have looked like a manic on the verge of breakdown, but Henry was all too aware of the cause, and although he began to speak several times to check on her, he refrained. Ruby was glad of it. She needed her focus to remain undivided if she were to have any hope of subduing her aggravated counterpart.

Over the next 5 minutes she tried everything she could think of, from silent meditation, to repeating the method Emma had employed to calm her earlier, but nothing helped to put the wolf back into a passive state. With a sinking feeling in her chest, Ruby was finally forced to acknowledge that the effort was pointless. The wolf was now agitated beyond mitigation, and her once simmering need for vengeance had begun to boil over in red hot torrents of molten fury. Behind the veil of her mind the wolf lurked behind, Ruby felt something crack and then give way. It wouldn't be long now until she could no longer resist giving in.

Rising from the chair, she began to pace the area between where Henry sat at the hospital bed Regina occupied. She could see his amplified concern out of the corner of her eyes, written all over his face as plain as day. And while she wished she could dismiss it, she knew he was right to be worried. She was honestly worried about herself.

With shaky movements, she swept a hand through her hair and then scrubbed it down her face. "Listen, Henry," she sighed, "I need you to look after your Mom for a while. There's something I have to do and as much as I wish it could, it can't wait."

Henry stared back at her with bewilderment. "You're seriously going to leave right now?"

Ruby nodded reluctantly. "I have to. Whoever did this to her is still out there and the trail is growing colder by the minute. No one in Storybrooke can track like I can. If I don't get out there _right now_ , we might never know who did this. Plus, I'm not about to let anybody else get their hands on that person before me."

Turning pleading eyes on Henry, she was stricken to note just how pissed off he appeared. In a way, she understood. Were she in his position, she would probably feel the same, but her decision to leave Regina's side so soon had not been made lightly. With the wolf so close to gaining control, she didn't feel she had a choice.

"I have to do this, Henry," she then said, imploring Henry for understanding because she hated the thought of him being angry with her. "If I put off the wolf any longer, there's going to be trouble that we just can't afford right now. Believe me, I don't want to go. I don't want to leave your Mom for one second, but I _have_ to. Please believe me."

At Ruby's added explanation, Henry took a deep breath. Though he softened his posture, he still didn't look completely satisfied. "I get it, I guess...I don't like it, but I get it. Go do what you gotta do, just be careful and get back here as soon as you can."

Squatting down on her haunches in front of Henry, Ruby rested her hands on his knees. She looked up at him with glistening eyes.

"I will be very, very careful," she earnestly promised, "and I _will_ find who did this. They're not gonna get away with it. I won't let them."

Henry did not reply audibly, choosing instead to reluctantly nod his head.

"I'll be back before you know it, punk."

And with that, Rube rose to stand once more, mussing his hair fondly on the way up. Once vertical, she turned and stepped over to the bedside and leaned carefully over Regina's prone form. With gentle reverence, she kissed her girlfriend's clammy forehead before pressing in even closer.

"I love you," she whispered into one of Regina's ears. "Don't ever forget that. Everything I do, I do because I love you. And even though I don't want to, I have to leave for a little while. There's something I have to do, but I promise you, I'll be back before you know it. So, I'll see you soon, okay? And when I get back, I expect you to be awake. You're the Queen, dammit, so get your ass in gear."

Half expecting Regina to awaken just to get in a retort at her last sentence, Ruby pulled back, her eyes sweeping over her girlfriend's face for any sign it might happen. To her immense disappointment she found none, but it was as she had expected. It would likely be some time before Regina regained consciousness.

After one last tender kiss to Regina's cheek, Ruby straightened, turned, and then strode with purpose toward the door, but was stopped by the sound of Henry's voice.

"Hey, Ruby," he called out, his voice laden with a deadly serious tone. "My mom is not an easy person to catch off guard. Whoever did this is dangerous, so please be careful."

Grinning wolfishly, Ruby's eyes began to glint with the excitement of the impending hunt. "I always am."

And with that, she took off down the hallway, breaking out into a light jog as she passed the waiting room where the rest of the family was still gathered. As she bolted past the door, she heard Snow and Emma call out to her, but she paid them no heed. Her wolf was gnawing at her cage, demanding to be let out and Ruby was tired of fighting her. At that moment, their interests were in perfect alignment.

When she reached the doors of the hospital, Ruby burst through them into the chilly air of the afternoon. Instantly springing into a jog, she crossed the entryway and went on through the parking lot, but as soon as she hit the sidewalk, she sped up to a run, picking up more and more speed with each subsequent step. Once she had reached the peak of her human ability, she surrendered to the wolf, allowing the change to freely occur. Having shifted, the speed of her lupine half took over, enabling her to reach a pace her human legs could only dream of. And so, with the wind whipping in her face and her heart hammering at her chest, she ran and ran didn't stop until she was standing on the porch of her home.

After a quick, investigative circuit around the house to look for any signs the intruder may have left behind, Ruby took a long moment to study the front of the house. Everything seemed the same from the outside except for the front door, which was hanging precariously loose on its hinges. There was no evidence of loitering around the windows or doors in either the front or the back. There were also no noticeable tracks in the yard or around the flower beds that rimmed nearly the length of the house. Nothing smelled out of the ordinary. As such, she was as certain as she could be that whoever had assaulted Regina had not cased the property, but had likely utilized a blitz attack.

Extending her investigation to the fringes of the property, she searched for signs of advanced scouting but found none, which confirmed her initial assessment. The attack appeared to have been impulsive and not premeditated or if it had been premeditated, it was done in a very efficient and concise manner.

Having discovered nothing else outside the house to give her a lead, Ruby took her investigation indoors. She was horrified by the sight she was greeted with upon stepping beyond the threshold of the broken front door of her home. Glass was scattered everywhere in the foyer along with a shockingly large trail of blood that lead on into the living room. She followed the dried crimson path to its terminal point.

As she eyed the area around the coffee table, completely aghast, Victor's concern about Regina's blood loss suddenly made sense. There was far too much blood to account for a single stab wound to the chest, especially considering no major blood vessels were compromised. Having killed many of Regina's men, both as a wolf and a woman, Ruby knew from experience how much blood to expect from such a wound, and what she knew firsthand was not congruent with the profuse amount of blood Regina had shed.

By the time Ruby arrived, the blood on the floor was dried, so it gave off a much less potent scent, but that did not stop it from eliciting a response. Enraged, the fur of Ruby's tail and mane stood on end and her whiskers began to tingle. An involuntary growl rumbled in her chest. She was beginning to lose focus in her mounting haze of anger, but she checked herself, refocusing all of her willpower into her senses, causing them to became razor sharp.

Lowering her muzzle nearly to the floor, she allowed all of the scents in the room to enter her sensitive nostrils and took in a long, steady draw of air. Immediately her brain processed the smell Regina's blood, and as it registered with her stomach, she fought back an urge to retch with an iron will. However, when she honed in her focus, she caught a foreign scent that was vaguely familiar and it caused a tingling in the back of her mind that she should recognize it.

Now curious, Ruby followed the scent from the living room to the front door, where she discovered a torn piece of cloth from a black shirt. She sniffed the cloth carefully to get the scent of whoever had worn it, and along with the individual's scent, she also picked up the tell-tale odor of the poison that Rumplestiltskin had earlier extracted from Regina. This was it, this was what she had come for. Now that she had his scent, it was just a matter of tracking it to the source.

Padding out the door, she raised her nose to the air and breathed deeply. To her delight, she immediately caught the smell of the perpetrator clinging to the wind, and followed it to the end of the driveway where it veered off to the west. Even there, the odor was still strong. Ruby howled in euphoria. Now the hunt was on in earnest.

Breaking off into as fast a pace as she could while keeping the scent, she made her way down Mifflin Street to the west. Her tracking lead her through almost five blocks, but eventually she was able to trace the scent all the way to a small, gray colored house where it dissipated behind the front door. Stopping in front of the inconspicuous looking abode, she trained her ears but could hear no activity inside.

Ruby was now facing a decision. She could remain hidden in her wolf form until her prey arrived home in order to ambush them while they were unsuspecting, or she could shift back and break into the house to subtly look for clues that might incriminate them. While considering her options, her promise to Henry echoed prominently in the back of her mind, and for a long moment she seriously considered calling the location in to Emma and leaving the culprit to the proper authorities. It was an appealing thought to the more rational side of herself.

Recalling the Dark One's early words of advice, Ruby recognized the wisdom behind them, for if anyone knew how destructive revenge could be, it was him. Rumplestiltskin had lived in its clutches for centuries and he had gleefully bred it in Regina. He knew the depths of depravity it could reduce someone to and the relative ease with which it could do it. Revenge in the minds of many was justification for all sorts of heinous acts of violence, and of the kinds that showcased the very worst in humanity.

Suddenly, Ruby did not so much want to take the law into her own hands anymore. She trusted Emma, but at that moment she didn't trust herself. If she let Emma handle the situation, justice would be served, and while it wouldn't be vicious or swift, it would be just as sure as if she ripped the person's throat out with her very own teeth.

But still, she wondered, what form of justice would that be? Would it be the kind of justice she could live with? Would it be the kind of justice that Regina deserved? In attempting to answer those questions, Ruby realized that while part of her would be satisfied with leaving things in Emma's hands, the reckless, dark, and vengeful part of her would not. Someone had broken down the door of her home in the middle of the afternoon and then stabbed the love of her life in the chest. For that abominable crime, there _had_ to be a reckoning, so if justice were going to be served, it was going to be Ruby who would dispense it.

Now resolved, she sniffed at the door one last time in the hope that she could catch the scent again. As she did so, her nose brushed up against the door, causing it to unexpectedly fall open. Her lupine eyes widened as the scent came back to her through the newly opened crack in the door. After nudging the door to create further separation, she quickly and quietly slipped through the opening.

When she was properly inside the home, Ruby was careful to maintain stealth as she followed the scent from the foyer into the living room and then down a hall way lined with pictures which featured three doors, two on the left side and one on the right. A closet, bathroom, and bedroom, she guessed. As she peered down the hallway, she noticed the single door on the right was cracked open. She approached it with caution.

With slow, deliberate sniffs, she inhaled the air around the opening. The odor of her prey was clearly emanating from whatever lie behind the door, so she knew the moment of truth had arrived. Without even bothering to weigh the pros and cons of what she was about to do one last time, Ruby determinedly wedged her nose into the space between the door and the frame and then pried it open further. When she had created a gap wide enough for her wolfen body to slip through, she moved onward through to the other side where a set of stairs descended down to an unfinished basement.

With careful movements, she made her way to the bottom. Once there, she turned the corner into the basement proper only to be halted abruptly in her tracks. Immediately before her, sitting comfortably relaxed in an armchair and looking right at her, was the very man she had been tracking.

Nothing could have prepared Ruby for the shock she experienced when she saw him. Though it had been more than 30 years since she had seen the face of the man who sat there regarding her with unveiled malice, instant recognition washed over her, and she recalled that she had not seen him since the week before she murdered his brother and ate him.

"Hello, Red," he greeted, smiling a devilish smile. With measure movements, he stood and then took a handful of steps toward her. "This little reunion has been long overdue, don't you think? I would say it's good to see you, but it's not. Well, not for you anyway, but I suppose it is for me because I've been waiting a long, long time for this moment."

Ruby was so startled by his presence that she had not noticed the gun he was holding until it was too late. She heard a shot ring out and jumped to her left out of instinct, but was not fast enough to avoid it even in her lupine form. Upon impact, pain exploded through her left shoulder.

Reeling, she collapsed to her side, hitting the ground with such tremendous force that a lightning bolt of searing agony surged through her body. She yelped and whined in torment as what felt like lava began coursing through her veins. Having been wounded many times in the past, Ruby was well versed in pain, but she had never experienced the like that was gripping her at that moment.

As she attempted to raise up, another flare of excruciating pain erupted behind her eyes, causing her to collapsed back on her side. Completely against her will, she began to shift back into her human form. Needing the strength of her wolf more than ever, Ruby tried to halt the transformation but was powerless to do so. When she had fully shifted back, she looked up to see the man hovering over her menacingly, an unattractive snarl marring handsome features so very similar to those of his brother.

"Joshua," she breathed, pain still lancing through her entire body. With a groan, she sat up, clutching her wounded shoulder.

"So you do remember," he replied, his eyes dark and devoid of any emotion save hatred. "You know, I've thought about killing you many times since my memories of our old lives returned, but you were always protected and I always lacked the means. Not so now."

Joshua brandished his firearm tauntingly at Ruby, resting it threateningly against her forehead.

"Enchanted silver bullets, you see. It cost me a great deal to barter for the material I made them out of. But persistence always pays, doesn't it, Red?"

"Let me go Joshua," Ruby gasped, fighting against the pain in her attempts to keep her body from shutting down. "My friends will come for me."

Slowly and deliberately, Joshua knelt in front of Ruby, grasping her jaw roughly in his free hand.

"Let them come," he spat. "They won't be in time to save your pathetic hide."

Ruby opened her mouth to reply, but did not get the chance. Without warning, Joshua slammed the butt of his gun against her temple.

"Goodnight, Red," she heard him laugh as she fell back to the floor. Within seconds, she was unconscious.


	9. A Swan's Perspective, Pt 1

**Notes** : Here we go with another chapter, this time in Emma's perspective. Not much to say here other than the next two chapters are bridging chapters between Ruby and Regina. So after this next one, it will be back to the Queen. Next chapter should land Thursday or Friday. Until then, see y'all! Love to all the readers, reviewers, etc. Your love and criticism are fuel alike to keep this writer going. Thank you! Enjoy the chapter.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 8** – A Swan's Perspective, pt. 1

Emma Swan was worried. Strike that, she had passed worried on the highway to panic about half an hour ago and was now speeding past the mile-marker labeled 'scared'. As she sat in the hospital waiting room with her head in her hands, her troubled mind traveled back to the moment almost 4 hours ago in which her best friend had hightailed it out of the hospital like an unquenchable fire was licking at her heels.

With Regina recovering from surgery, Emma had considered it a forgone conclusion that Ruby would have been adamant to remain by her wounded girlfriend's side, so the unexpected departure had caught Emma completely unprepared. A fruitless calling out of Ruby's name was all she could manage to muster up before her brunette friend disappeared from view, leaving a waiting room full of confused people who didn't understand what the hell was going on.

That her pleading calls were blatantly ignored hadn't really come as a great surprise considering the determined set of Ruby's features as she did her best impression of Speedy Gonzalez. Emma had only managed a brief glimpse at the blur of brown hair, pale skin, and brightly colored clothes, but the look she'd seen in Ruby's eyes gave her pause, for it reminded her a little too much of Ruby in pursuit of a suspect.

In what Emma had unimaginatively dubbed 'wolf mode', Ruby was almost unstoppable. When she got that way on the job, there was little for Emma to do besides do her best to keep up with the punishing pace her most trusted deputy set, gun at the ready just in case as she prayed that they weren't rushing headlong into a situation too sticky for them to get out of. While Ruby's instincts had proven more trustworthy than anyone Emma had ever met and had yet to fail, Emma knew that they could only get a person by for so long. She had never forgotten the lessons life had hammered into her from her youth: authority figures can't be trusted, people lie, people will inevitably hurt you, promises are worth about as much as a rusty penny, luck runs out, and running on instinct will get you into more trouble than it will get you out of.

Later on into adulthood Emma had harnessed that knowledge to her advantage in her career as bail-bonds woman, particularly the bit about instincts. Instinct was a powerful motivator in humans, accounting for actions that people would later recollect in awe that they had ever been so foolish or daring or brave to attempt. It made people stronger, more fleet of foot, and was that baser force that drove the guilty to flee from the long arm of the law. Seemingly superhuman feats were capable of being accomplished under its sway, but being controlled by it also made people more apt to commit blunders, which was a good thing for her wallet. People who made mistakes left behind evidence, making them very easy to track and thus apprehend.

She'd built her entire career on the premise of using instinct against her targets. Having a good sense of people's penchants, of their habits, made catching them unawares not only possible but probable, and turned what might otherwise be difficult jobs into efficient endeavors. As such, Emma would study up on her prey in order to use their tendencies against them, and her ability to turn that profiling into actionable intelligence lead to her becoming one of the best at her profession. Emma did not like to brag, but she was good enough at her job that she'd been living pretty comfortably for a single person in Boston, far more comfortably than almost all of her peers.

And yet it was this same ability that made her presently aware of how potentially perilous Ruby's situation was. For even though Ruby's senses were unnervingly accurate, it was only a matter of time before they would fail her just as they did for each and every one of the delinquents Emma had rounded up for the state of Massachussetts. And the way Ruby went after suspects with an abandon that meant when her senses did fail, the fallout would be catastrophic.

It was a scary thought for Emma that Ruby might coming to harm, but she was hamstrung as to what she could do. For starters, she had absolutely no idea where Ruby was, nor did she have much in the way of information from the crime scene. Perhaps it was a dereliction of duty for the Sheriff to be so out of touch, but she'd felt compelled to be at the hospital with Ruby and Henry to offer her support, and not just for their sakes but for Regina's as well, who had very nearly been murdered in her own home.

Taken as a whole, the situation was a disaster. Not only was Regina – the only person who could positively identify her attacker – laid up, but Ruby was nowhere to be found and what remained of the Storybrooke Sheriff's department was currently in the waiting room of SGH, awaiting opportunity to see their fallen friend and de facto co-leader. The only positive was that Regina was on the mend, but that good news was dampened by Ruby's continued absence, which was currently keeping Emma in a constant state of dread.

Staying out of contact for so long, especially when out on a case, was unlike the dependable friend and co-worker she knew who exercised remarkable diligence to keep her in the loop. Sometimes things could get crazy enough in Storybrooke that she and Ruby would have to divide and conquer, each taking a call in order to prevent situations from escalating before help could arrive, and while those occasions were mercifully rare, Ruby was punctual about following Emma's protocol to stay in contact every hour, on the half if she could help it. In two months service as a Sheriff's Deputy, Ruby had yet to break protocol even once.

Now, with 4 hours having passed without a single word through phone call or text message, Emma was officially on the verge of panic. To keep herself from overreacting, she rationalized to herself about how capable Ruby was of defending herself. As a werewolf, there were few threats that could present themselves in Storybrooke that she was unable to handle, but no matter how capable she was and despite how sound her reasons for acting rashly, Emma also believed Ruby to be in a reckless frame of mind, so as much as Emma wanted to remain patient with her trust, she was unwilling to give her friend much more leeway.

The only reason Emma was even aware of what Ruby was doing was because she had confronted Henry about it. Had she not, she would have remained in ignorance. But after witnessing Ruby tear out of the hospital, she had been very understandably concerned and perplexed since she had figured that Ruby would be metaphorically glued to Regina's ass even more so than usual – which would have been quite an accomplishment in and of itself.

On a normal day at the station, Ruby would text Regina at least half a dozen times and call her at the office at least twice: once mid-morning and once mid-afternoon. Were it not for the fact that Emma was aware of the terms Regina had set for 'tolerating' Ruby's new job, she might have worried about the kind of relationship the two had. If there was one thing Emma knew about Ruby and Regina, though, it was that they loved each other the way people were _supposed_ to love each other. In fact, she sometimes wondered whether the love they shared might be even more epic than that of her own parents, and that was saying a lot seeing as her mom and dad were none other than Snow White and Prince Charming. Even though she was not privy to many 'fairy tale' moments between her friends like she'd been to her parents during her trip back in time, there was one time in specific that made her a believer and which lead her to believe the contest was too close to decide.

At that particular time due to the rapid evolution of the relationship between Ruby and Regina, Emma had been questioning its validity, mainly on Regina's part. It had not come as any kind of surprise that Ruby fell so fast and hard since that was just the kind of person the genial young woman was. Ruby loved with everything she had, gave all of herself to those she held most dear and without any kind of reserve. Ruby was as audacious with her heart as she was with her body, but Regina was not quite so trigger happy and for understandable reasons.

Because Emma was painfully aware of what Regina had lived through, it honestly shamed her to look back at that time and remember how cynical she'd been to actually doubt Regina's motives. Her initial concern was that Ruby was a rebound for the wounded woman, that Regina was using the tenderhearted werewolf like a band aid that she would rip off the second she felt healed enough. And while those fears had been irrational, they were rooted in a very rational place that was hard for Emma to ignore.

Even though the friendship between herself and the once Evil Queen was on steady footing, she couldn't help but remember the possessive and controlling way her former nemesis had acted when Graham started showing an interest in anyone else. Being made aware than Regina had Graham's heart resolved a lot of questions for Emma, such as why it was possible for him to looked at her with so much affection and so much pain at the same time. His sudden death in her arms created a wound that had never fully healed in Emma's heart. In truth, it had only scabbed over, something she only became aware of upon watching Ruby fall in love with Regina. For having felt as if her best friend was being forcibly dragged away from her by the magnetic pull of Regina Mills, that old and bitter wound reopened for a time. Eventually it scabbed back over in no small part thanks to plenty of TLC from Killian, but what helped more than anything was when she finally got proof that what her friends had was real.

It just so happened that a little more a month after Ruby moved in with Regina, Emma had been out on a late night walk and quite unwittingly stumbled onto a private moment between Storybrooke's newest and most buzzworthy couple. It had been the middle of summer and nearing midnight as she ambled through the streets, enjoying the peaceful night to decompress from a hard day at the station. Quite without meaning to, she'd made her way onto Mifflin Street, and as if her feet were preprogrammed to seek out house number 108, she soon found herself standing outside the familiar front walk of the Mayoral Mansion.

Shaking her head with chagrin at her subconscious action, Emma was just about to turn about and leave when she heard the faint sounds of music emanating from the back yard. Curiosity compelled her to seek out the source.

After letting herself in, she made her way to the back, justifying her actions by telling herself she was just being a good friend. After all, one never knew what kind of freaks could be out and about at that time of night. Perhaps, she'd thought, it was some kind of new crime wave, terrorizing citizens by playing sultry jazz tunes in their back yards. The ridiculousness of the scenario made her laugh. Upon turning the corner, however, that laugh dried up.

Out on the back patio no more than twenty feet away, she could see Regina and Ruby in an intimate embrace and swaying gently to the richly smooth voice of Etta James. With the three-quarter moon hanging low in the sky, they were bathed in a soft, pale light that created a halo about them as they danced, lending an almost spiritual effect to the scene. It had seemed to Emma like nature itself was showering its approval upon their union.

Before that encounter, Emma used to think her parents were the most disgustingly sweet couple on earth, but witnessing the way her friends were looking at one another changed her mind. So lost in love were they that she doubted either would have noticed if she had decided to impulsively streak across the lawn – not that she would ever consider doing such a thing. And then when Ruby started singing along with the song a moment later, her eyes making it abundantly clear the words were dedicated to the woman in her arms, Emma witnessed Regina's entire countenance change. The only way she could adequately describe it was to say that the normally uptight woman had simply melted, and Emma melted right along with her.

Because the tender kiss that came after left her feeling like some kind of stalker, she hightailed it out of there before she could be discovered. But the experience left a lasting impression. After that, she never questioned the relationship again, for she was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that her friends had finally found their happy endings together. With as hard as they had fought to find it, Emma also believed them both willing to die for it. That was how deep the connection was between Ruby and Regina, and yet it was what also made Ruby's decision to leave the hospital so troubling.

Needing more information, she decided to find her son in order to question him about what was going on. What Henry had told her gave only increased her unease. Come to find out, Ruby was out hunting for Regina's assailant, and knowing her friend as she did, Ruby was caught halfway between acting responsibly by apprehending the suspect and tearing the bastard's throat out. Normally Ruby's better sense would prevail, but where Regina was concerned Emma was not so sure she could restrain the wolf from asserting her influence, an opinion that was backed up by Ruby's near meltdown in the lobby.

With the wolf in play, anything was possible. It made Emma's throat constrict to even think it, but she couldn't help but fear the likely outcome of this tragic situation was for her to be called in to a grizzly murder scene. And that was all she had been able to think about for the past 4 hours. Sure, she talked when prompted by her mother or father, and she spent some time with Henry as he held vigil over his mother, but mainly Emma was consumed by the possibilities of how things might play out for her friend.

Being alone, stressed out, worried about Regina, irrational with anger, and running on fumes meant Ruby was in no shape to be out pursuing a suspect. Going after anyone in that kind of frame of mind was a risky proposition, not to mention an armed and dangerous individual who had taken down the Evil Queen; which, considering what Emma knew firsthand about the woman only increased the threat the perp posed to an already vulnerable Ruby.

From the moment Emma met Regina Mills, she had known Henry's adoptive mother was a formidable woman. At first glance, Emma had sized Regina up, knowing that she had met her equal in terms of strength and tenacity, and when considering that, she had gone out of her way to avoid any trouble arising between them. The feud that erupted was wholly incidental.

And then when the curse broke, Emma's grudging respect turned into outright fear. She had hidden it well, but it wasn't easy to face down a woman that could melt your face off with a wave of her hand or send you flying a hundred feet with the a flick of a well-manicured finger. It took a soul more stout than Emma Swan's to stare into those fathomless brown eyes and not blink.

Regina was easily the most powerful woman Emma had ever met, but the person who stabbed her did not seem to care about that fact at all, which in her professional opinion spoke to either scary intelligence or outright insanity. Neither of those options were particularly good.

If the assailant was clever enough to catch Regina unawares, how much chance did Ruby stand when she was clearly going to be distracted? Not that Ruby was stupid or incapable for she was neither, but Regina possessed a cunning mind that was devious when necessary and always up to the task, always five steps ahead of the game, and it made her nearly impossible to outmaneuver. And yet had she had been. Easily. What's worse was if the perpetrator was driven by insanity, because, well, that just opened up a whole other can of worms that Emma did not even want to consider. Crazy people who were both unpredictable and violent were a lethal combination that conjured up images too unspeakable to contemplate.

Either way, Emma couldn't help but feel in her gut that Ruby was in trouble. Sure, she could understand the desire for revenge, but being impulsive was a good way to get dead when pursuing an individual who had attacked the Evil Queen and lived to tell the tale. She was genuinely frightened that Ruby was going to get herself hurt or worse. The very thought of her best friend dying sent chills cascading down the length of her spine.

It was no secret that Emma had always been a loner and a nomad – a lifetime spent in foster care tended to do that to a person. Before coming to Storybrooke, she had no family and no real friends to speak of, and what few people she worked with more than once merely tolerated her. None of that had ever bothered Emma. Life had taught her the painfully difficult but extremely valuable lesson of self-sufficiency (another fringe benefit of being raised in the system, if you could even call it that), so she hadn't needed anyone else in her life.

As far as sex or companionship were concerned, whenever she got the itch, she would frequent a few bars and clubs until she found someone worthy of a short term relationship or a one night stand. Most of them were of the latter variety, as Emma Swan pre-Storybrooke was the kind of girl who was dressed and out the door by the time her latest conquest was waking up. Not the type of person for regrets, Emma wasn't particularly ashamed of such behavior because it was who the world had shaped her to be. Her only real regrets were the 3 people she had truly and deeply hurt, and if it were possible, she would go back to make different choices with them if only to spare them what she put them through. Unfortunately life didn't work that way, which left only one option: move on. And move on she had, from town to town and from city to city all over the country.

Due to her upbringing, and later on her chosen avocation, Emma never stayed in one place for very long. When she was very young, she had bounced around foster families like she was a living pinball, crashing into bumpers and paddles until her head was spinning and she was plummeting down a long dark hole of rejection and loneliness. For whatever reason, most families tended to grow disillusioned with her within the first month, and what few didn't never kept her longer than 3 or 4. After turning 16, Emma went out on her own for good, but that pattern of life continued because it was all she knew. Having lived in Boston a little more than a year made it the longest she had stayed in one place, but even there she had been getting ready to uproot again when Henry tracked her down.

Needless to say, when Emma came to Storybrooke to return Henry to his mother, she had been expecting a very short visit. Her only concern at the time had been Henry's general welfare, so when she met Regina and saw how her son had lived since she gave him up, she was more than satisfied that he was in good hands. After leaving Regina's house, she had been prepared to leave as soon as possible. While fate had a heavy hand in keeping Emma in Storybrooke, Regina's provocations had been the straw that broke the camel's back, and in the end that's what made her so angry at Regina in the beginning.

It was never her intention to stay in Storybrooke any longer than necessary, and she certainly hadn't expected to find the family she had dreamed of all her life or to make friends that she was willing to die for, but she had. What started out as coincidence meandered into destiny when her son located her, for first Emma found her parents (who as it turned out were even more amazing than in even her wildest dreams), and then she had found Ruby, who would eventually become her best friend in the world.

As one of the first people Emma met in Storybrooke, she and Ruby became fast friends, mainly due to Ruby's loud, matter-of-fact, and in-your-face way of things. The girl was who she was and proud of it, just the kind of person Emma most loved to be around. It didn't hurt at all that Ruby was also fun, adventurous, and unfiltered, a breath of fresh air for a woman who had felt incredibly stifled at first by the repressive atmosphere of small town life. And of course, there was the not-so-insignificant bonus that her new friend was hot as all hell.

For a while, Emma had entertained thoughts about making Ruby a highly impressive notch on her bedpost but had decided against it when she noticed the way Ruby started looking at her. Truth be told, it hadn't been an unpleasant development at all and that was the problem. After Ruby's brief stint at the Sheriff's station, they had grown even closer and seeing as Graham died and left Emma feeling vulnerable, it had been very easy for her mind to start drifting _there_.

Despite the fact that sex with Ruby was bound to be _incredible_ , Emma was also self-aware enough to recognize the effect the girl was having on her. She already cared about Ruby more than she wanted to admit, so a one night stand would have never worked. Inevitably, one night would have turned into two, which would have turned into a week and that into a month and by the time she finally worked up the nerve to even attempt ending things, there would have been feelings involved of the sort that she wasn't at all certain she would have the strength to walk away from.

The last thing she had wanted was to destroy another innocent victim like she had in her previous relationships, which seemed to be kind of her thing. Bad boys and girls were simple and fun, and they always sufficed to keep her satisfied for a while, but eventually Emma always found herself drawn to the sweet, affectionate, and trusting type of person that fell in love easily. Someone like Ruby who would have poured herself into Emma without being asked, laid herself bare in every way for Emma to consume, and then inevitably spit out stripped down to the bone. Someone that Emma could really, really hurt.

With anyone else, she wouldn't have been bothered to refrain for conscience' sake, but Ruby was just so damn lovable that she was afraid she would fall in love, too, and from the perspective of a person allergic to commitment, the prospect was most decidedly bad. After all, the last time she had fallen in love was with Neal, and that had been a train wreck of epic proportions which ended with her being abandoned, pregnant and in jail. After that, she had sworn off being in love and had no problems abiding by that self-imposed rule until she came to town with Henry.

It was Graham who was the first to finally chip away at that thick armor around her heart until she started to feel things she wasn't supposed to and hadn't wanted to ever again. Then he died, which crushed her all over again, but Emma had been so consumed with Henry and her battle with Regina and looking out for haplessly sweet Mary Margaret that she didn't have time to rebuild her defenses. Overwhelmed, she started leaning a little more on Ruby, which in retrospect was a mistake, because it turned out that what Graham had done was to open a door which Ruby was then poised to waltz right through.

Being torn a million a ways at once left a person with no way to fight against unwanted feelings, so to be honest, the startlingly intense attraction to Ruby had started to drive her a little mad. Thankfully, Ruby seemed to sense that and pulled back to a more comfortable distance, though Emma could tell she continued to harbor feelings for her for a long time after. Selfishly, she found that as concerning as Ruby's attachment was, it was equally comforting.

Looking back on those days now made Emma very glad they hadn't done anything. It would have been so weird for her to find out she was sleeping with her mother's best friend who just so happened to have held her when she was a baby. Post-curse life had been strange enough in Storybrooke without that additional wrinkle.

Still, every now and then Emma's mind would drift back _there_ , and each time it did, she came to the conclusion that the weirdness probably would have proven worth it. Being loved by Ruby would have been worth it. That conclusion was affirmed by what she witnessed on a near daily basis of Ruby and Regina's relationship, because even though Ruby was an amazing woman, she was an even more amazing girlfriend whose unwavering devotion to Regina sometimes made Emma very envious of her former enemy. After all, that could very easily have been her life. But alas, water under the bridge and all that jazz.

Regardless of how different things could have been, the friendship Emma now had with Ruby was one of the most important relationships in her life. Ruby was someone she could be girly with and gossip with and be ridiculously immature around without fear of embarrassment or judgment, and was also someone Emma could confide in and ask for advice, knowing she would get an honest and sensible answer.

Over the years, an unshakable bond had formed that she relied on as part of the foundation of her life. Having Ruby as her deputy over the past 3 months had only strengthened and solidified that bond, for through the dangers and anxieties of the job they had learned to depend upon and to trust one another in a deeply intuitive way that made their teamwork seamless. The truth of the matter was that Emma had come to rely on Ruby in so many ways now that her loss would leave a gaping hole in Emma's heart that no one else could fill. For someone who had been taking care of herself for as long as she could remember, that was stupefyingly scary.

"We've got to do something," Emma shouted as she stood from her chair and began to pace. She had done quite enough sitting around. "This waiting around is killing me."

Though not looking directly at him, Emma could feel Killian's worried eyes on her, but as she turned to glare at him, a gentle hand on her arm stopped the impulsive reaction. Tracing said arm to its source lead Emma's eyes to her mother, who sat looking up at her with an expression of complete understanding.

"Honey, I'm worried, too," Mary Margaret said in a soothing voice, her expression one of calm patience, "but there's not a lot we can do right now. We have to trust Ruby. I know it's hard, but believe me when I say that she knows what she's doing and she can handle herself."

"You think I don't know that?" Emma replied harshly, hating the way her mother flinched in response as she had only been trying to help. Taking a deep breath, Emma let it out very slowly to calm herself. "I know very well what Ruby is capable of, but I'm telling you, something's not right," gesturing toward the hallway, Emma's face tightened. "Whoever did _that_ to Regina is not someone to mess around with."

Sighing, Emma screwed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. "Look, Ruby has amazing instincts and is perfectly able to defend herself. I know all of that, alright? But I also know that she's torn up about Regina and acting impulsively because she's not thinking clearly. That's a bad combination when the bastard she's out there chasing is more dangerous than I think anyone here realizes."

"What do you mean?" her father asked, his attention now sharply focused.

"I mean that whoever did this managed to get the jump on Regina Mills...the woman who was once the Evil Queen," Emma replied as if the answer should be as obvious to them as it was to her. "Have you ever known Regina to let herself be caught so completely off guard? But this guy did just that. He smashed down the front door of her house and stabbed her in the chest. And you know what that means, don't you?"

Looking around the room, Emma was met with by three very concerned faces, though each was concerned for their own reasons. When she saw that none of them were about to respond, she took it for her cue to continue.

"I don't know if you've thought of it or not," she said, her face grim, "but in order to do so, he had to be up close. Close enough for her to see his face. That means he didn't care whether or not she could identify him. Hell, he didn't even stick around to make sure he'd finished the job. So ask yourselves, what kind of a person stabs the Evil Queen in the chest with such a callous disregard for the consequences? I've been asking myself that same question over and over, and let me tell you what I think: a homicidal maniac, exactly the kind of person Ruby should _not_ be after in her condition."

Emma paused to run a shaky hand through her hair and left it tangled there for several moments. As she did so, she noticed the eyes of her audience fixated on her hand. Glancing up, she noticed that it was trembling and with a jerky movement, disentangled the hand from her hair and let it fall limply to her side where she began to ball it up into a fist. The idea was to hide her visceral reaction, but in a spur of the moment decision, she changed her mind and allowed her hand to remain openly shaking, figuring that such a reaction from her might spur some interest in the others as it was visible proof as to just how concerned she really was for Ruby.

As if to prove that line of reasoning, her mother stood and moved in front of her, taking her trembling hand between her own. Emma noticed that her mother's formerly calm eyes were now wide and uncertain.

She opened and closed her mouth several times as if unsure what to say before finally asking, "You're really scare for her, aren't you?"

Squeezing her mother's hand, Emma allowed her anxiety to play across her features. "Of course I am. She's been out there for 4 hours now. Don't you think she should have checked in by now?"

Biting her lip with worry, Mary Margaret nodded. "I'll admit, it's very troubling, but I also have to say that this is nothing new where Ruby is concerned. Back in the Enchanted Forest, she would disappear for weeks at a time without notice or any form of contact, particularly when on task. It's just how she is. So, while I'm very concerned, I have to remain optimistic that this is just a case of Ruby being Ruby."

Emma sighed. "Does everyone else feel I'm being premature? Maybe even irrational?" she asked, her eyes seeking out both her father and her longtime boyfriend.

"Your mother knows Ruby much better than I do, love," Killian said, prevaricating so as to not hurt her feelings.

Emma was not particularly shocked at his answer because though she loved him, Killian sometimes went to lengths to avoid confrontation with her, which could be annoying. Every now and then, she liked a good verbal tussle, a fact of which Regina was well aware. Still, she wouldn't hold his lack of support against him, because while it was somewhat hurtful, it was at least honest.

"And you, Dad?" Emma asked her father.

"I think your mother knows Ruby very well," was his calm reply, his face betraying little of what he felt on the inside.

When his speech paused, Emma's head bowed sadly. She should have anticipated such a reaction, knowing it very unlike him to openly oppose her mother, even though she suspected that he shared her concern due to his having worked along side Ruby many times over the past months.

However, she had also learned a long time ago that her father was very particularly good at concealing his emotions when he didn't want her to worry, so that was another possible reason for his lack of support. Whatever the case was, Emma began to concede to the bitter fact that she would be going at it alone yet again. But, almost immediately after consigning herself to such, she was brought back to attention by her father's voice.

"Having said that," he continued, "I also know Ruby very well, and while it is possible that she might have gone so long without contact due to being on the hunt, I also know that she could never stay away from Regina for so long with her in the hospital. So, I'm inclined to agree with you, Emma. The question is: what do you want to do about it?"

As she took a moment to gaze fondly at her father for his unexpected, though very welcome support, Emma noticed from the corner of her eye that her mother was also looking at him, though in her case, it was in mild shock. If the situation weren't so serious, she might have been tempted to gloat, but as it was, she refrained. After taking a moment to weight her options, she decided there was really only one.

"I'd like to at least try to retrace her steps if possible," she said. "She would've gone straight to the house, so that's where I'd start."

Her father nodded. "I agree." After slapping his knees, he stood and approached. "So, let's get started."

"David?" was Mary Margaret's surprised response.

With a gentle smile, he leaned in and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek which she hesitantly accepted. "I'm not letting her go out there alone, especially if this guy is as dangerous as she suspects and I trust Emma's instincts as far as that goes. Besides, Ruby is my friend, too."

"Well, if that's the case, why shouldn't it be me that goes?" Mary Margaret countered. "Ruby is my oldest friend and I'm the best tracker out of us all."

"Not to speak out of hand here," Killian then interjected to Emma, "but perhaps I could accompany you, Emma, that way everyone is satisfied."

Already instinctively knowing her father's response, Emma decided to cut off any and all argument and settle matters herself. "No," she said plainly, "Dad will come with me." Emma saw her mother start to retort, but interrupted the words before they could even escape her mouth. "And I don't wanna any buts, Mom. What if Regina were to wake up? She needs someone here besides Henry that she's comfortable with and Henry needs family here, too. You need to stay here and let me and Dad do our jobs."

After her mother's opposition visibly deflate, she acquiesced. "Okay, you're right, I suppose. I'll stay here."

Satisfied, Emma next turned to Killian, who, as if already knowing what she was going to say, gave her an accepting smile and a nod. He stood and took a step forward to stand next to her. "No need, love, I understand. This is something you need to do and you want your father there with you. I only have one request. Promise me you'll be careful, alright?"

Tears stung Emma's eyes as she nodded. Leaning towards her boyfriend, she gave him a long kiss full of gratitude. She would have to be extra sure to properly reward him after all of this was over. When the kiss ended, she leaned their foreheads together. "Thank you...for understanding. I love you, and I promise, I'll be careful."

"See that you are," he replied, "and I love you as well." With a grin, he then leaned in for another quick kiss.

After separating from Killian, Emma turned to witness her father to see him sharing a goodbye with her mother. The sight effected her more than she let on. It still amazed Emma to this day that her parents were Snow White and Prince Charming and even more so that the love they shared was not just some fictional fairy tale, but very real and even more beautiful than in any book or movie. Emma was the very real proof of that and the reality sometimes was almost too much to take in, but more and more, she was learning to accept and even to appreciate her heritage.

As touched as she was by her parents' display, though, Emma knew that time was wasting, so she cleared her throat rather loudly. At the noise, her parents broke their embrace, both looking a little sheepish. She smiled.

"Ready, Dad?"

"Ready, sweetheart," he replied and then with a sharp nod, he squeezed her mother's hand once more and then walked for the door.

Emma turned to follow and as she and her father crossed the threshold leading into the hallway, her mother's voice called out, halting their progress.

"Be careful, you two, and I love you both!"

"I love you, too, Mom," Emma called back and she very much hoped that her mother could see in her face just how much she meant it.


	10. A Swan's Perspective, Pt 2

**Notes** : This one is more from Emma and is pretty straight forward. Hope you all enjoy it! There is a small chance that I will post another chapter on Saturday. We'll see. If I don't, expect the next one as usual, that being Monday or Tuesday.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 9** – A Swan's Perspective, pt. 2

More time then Emma was comfortable losing had passed by the time she and her father finally arrived at the Mills family residence. The trip would have been much quicker had they not stopped by the Diner to speak with Granny about Ruby's potential location. The added delay cost them time they could not afford to lose, but Emma had thought it a gamble worth taking. If there was anyone in the world Ruby had talked to other than her, it would have been Granny.

When Emma and her father entered the all-too-familiar establishment, the Lucas matriarch was prepping her staff to take over running the Diner so she could leave to visit Regina. Granny had not looked happy at all. As soon as she spotted Emma walk through door, she was glaring daggers. Emma did not take it personally, figuring as Ruby's best friend Granny was fixating on her in lieu of Ruby.

"When I get my hands on that girl, I'm gonna throttle her," she had growled.

Eyes wide, Emma worried that Granny found out what Ruby had done. "What for?" she asked, probing as to exactly what the aged but spunky woman knew.

"She called earlier and said Regina got hurt," Granny replied with evident frustration, "but neglected to mention that she almost died. I had to find out from a customer that she lied to me. My own flesh and blood. I raised her better than that."

Granny's anger was pretty intimidating on a good day, but when hell was breaking loose all around Emma, it had an increased effect, causing a tremor to cascade down her spine. She was less concerned for herself than she was for Ruby. If her friend survived whatever mess she had gotten herself into, it was highly likely Granny would kill her.

"I don't know why she did that, Granny, but I'm sure she had her reasons," Emma soothed. The words were empty and she knew it. Ruby should not have lied, and Emma could not conceive of any reason that would lead Ruby to do that. Over the years, Granny had come to love Regina like a daughter. She should have been given the opportunity to be there. Still, there were more pressing concerns than Ruby's motivation to conceal the horrible reality of what happened. "Whatever they were, now is not the time to be mad at her. Have you heard from her in the last couple of hours?"

Granny's brow drew tense. "No. Why?"

"She's missing," David spoke up from behind Emma's shoulder. The indelicate way he phrased it made her cringe. She loved her dad to pieces but sometimes he could be heavy-handed. He often blamed his occasional lack of tact on his simple upbringing, and while that might be true, it seemed to crop up at the worst times. "She went after the person responsible for hurting Regina," he then went on, "and we've not heard from her since. She's worked up over Regina and we're all worried she's going to get herself into trouble."

"Well," Granny sighed in response, "that sounds like Ruby. I wouldn't worry too much, though. The girl may be hard-and-hot-headed, but she's not met a fix she couldn't get herself out of." Cutting her piercing blue eyes to Emma, she inclined her head. "How long's it been?"

Emma crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling cold. Granny's stare could chill a polar bear. "Almost five hours now."

Silver brows rose at the length of time that had passed without word from Ruby. "That long? And she's not checked in at all?"

Emma shook her head sadly. "Which is why we're looking for her. We were gonna go by the house and start looking for clues as to her whereabouts. It's where she would have started her search."

"Makes sense," said Granny with a terse nod, and then pushed her glasses further up her nose. She looked worried but hid it behind her wry sense of humor. "Whatever's going on, I'm sure she's just fine, so when you find her do me a favor, will you? Give her a good wallop to the back of the head from me."

Emma could not help but chuckle. She appreciated Granny's abrasive form of levity, knowing it was not only to dispel her own disquiet but Emma and her father's as well.

"Tell you what," said her father, sporting a quirked tilt of the lips, "when we find her, we'll drag her back so you can do it yourself."

Granny hummed and then smirked. "You've got yourself a deal, Charming."

"So, Granny," Emma then redirected the conversation back to the point of the visit, "have you heard from her?"

"I haven't," Granny answered, and Emma's heart sank. She'd been hoping Ruby would at least contact the only blood relative she had left in the world, but it seemed that Ruby did not even trust her own grandmother in this instance. That or she'd been too consumed with vengeance to bother. Neither option was comforting.

Since Granny had heard as much from Ruby as they had, Emma and David then made their goodbyes, promising to catch up with Granny at the hospital. They'd had to flatly deny the elder werewolf's deliberately conspicuous suggestion that she might be of aid to their search, and though Granny looked like she wanted to argue, Emma reassured her that while the offer was appreciated, she and her father had things in hand. Looking somewhat deflated, Granny acquiesced and wished them luck before shooing them out the door.

Having spent a good ten minutes in the diner, the time gap between leaving the hospital and reaching their destination had extended to a little over half an hour. The delay left Emma wondering if there were any major developments they had missed. She was particularly concerned by how long it was taking for Regina to regain consciousness, seeing as Whale had told them she should wake up within 2 hours post-surgery. But it seemed that Regina was going to be stubborn about waking up when she good and well felt like it, which was very much in keeping with her character. Still, Emma was able to take some solace – though that relief was marginal at best – in knowing her son's other mother was at the very least out of the woods.

Truth be told, she would have felt much more comfortable starting out the investigation after Regina was awake. Knowing at least one half of the beleaguered couple was out of trouble would be an immense relief and go a long way toward improving her ability to focus. However, life rarely gave such welcoming windows of opportunity. Still, since progress was impeded by distraction, she supposed she was just going to have to woman up, put her big girl britches on, and soldier on. It was in a microcosm the story of her life.

After taking a moment to steady her nerves, Emma extricated herself from her vehicle and then began to walk the path from the driveway to the front door of the very familiar home. Upon approaching the front porch a few seconds later, Emma seized up like an overheated engine exhausted of lubricants, unable to continue forward momentum as she took in the blatantly obvious signs of the assault that had happened just hours earlier in the day.

The EMT she'd talked to on the phone who had tended to Regina reported that the scene was fairly grizzly, but Emma's heart still gave a lurch at the sight before her. The heavy front door was hanging precariously on a single hinge, a blow of tremendous force having caved it in and nearly tore it completely from the frame. Its formerly gleaming white paint was marred by a large, dirty boot print and was dotted by several large spatters of blood.

"My God," David commented from behind her, his voice strained in dismay.

"Yeah," Emma responded, similarly affected.

Swallowing thickly, she coerced her legs to move forward despite their willingness to remain obstinately planted to the walk. Stepping up onto the porch, she made her way into the house, careful not to disturb the scene so that she could come back and process it more thoroughly after Ruby was accounted for. Once beyond the threshold she passed into the foyer only to be greeted with a scene out of her worst nightmares.

It was like a hurricane of carnage had blown through the area. Glass was strewn all over the place from a vase that had been knocked off of the table next to the wall, and as her eyes followed the trail of debris it created, she quickly came to a moderately sized puddle of dried blood which was staining the pretty wooden floors near the sole table occupying the hallway. And as if that were not bad enough, there was one long, almost continuous streak of dull brownish red that trailed out from the concentrated area and extended all the way into the living room. As it registered whose blood it was, Emma grew lightheaded, but the sensation soon passed as she mastered herself. Now was not the time to freak out. There would be plenty of that later.

Taking in a deep breath, she studied the scene of the attack for a minute, and she had made some preliminary deductions, spared a glance at her father. He, much like she had, was taking in the sight of Regina's near exsanguination while attempting to maintain an aura of neutrality. Try as he might, though, he couldn't hide his turmoil.

As inappropriate as it was, she couldn't help but think that such times really drove it home as to just how much her parents really did care about Regina. Had Regina been successfully lynched after the Curse broke, her father would have done his duty in meting justice out on her killers, but he would have not done so with the stricken features and eyes haunted with anguish that he was currently sporting.

"Dad?" Emma called, turning toward him. At her prompt, he directed glistening eyes onto her, and while Emma was sympathetic to the emotions he was currently feeling, she couldn't risk him losing focus any more than she could herself. She smiled sadly as she laid an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "I know it's hard, and it looks really bad, but she's okay. We need to remember that so we can do what we need to do. So, let's search the rest of the house and check for signs of a motive, like vandalism and theft, though I don't think we'll find any. You good for that?"

"Okay," he said with a weak nod, though his expression hardened with resolve, "I'm good. You wanna take upstairs or down?"

"I'll take upstairs. I think Regina would take less offense to me rifling through her stuff than you."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he replied with a crooked half-smile.

"Let's get to it, then," Emma said, squeezing his shoulder once in a reassuring manner before removing her hand. "Just let me know if you find something."

"Will do," was her father's simple response before turning and heading down the hallway.

After watching him walk a few paces, Emma moved to the stairs and began to ascend them. As she climbed, she could hear the sounds of her dad's booted feet moving down the hallway toward the kitchen. With his search having commenced, she became resolute in proceeding with her own.

With quick and efficient movements borne out of many years of experience, she went through each of the guest bedrooms. Nothing at all seemed amiss, which was consistent with her initial assessment of the crime scene. In all it took her only about 15 minutes to search every room upstairs besides the master bedroom, though she had done her best to be thorough in her haste. Once she was satisfied there was nothing of note to be discovered in the last room, she made her way to the end of the hallway where her last objective awaited. The master bedroom.

As Emma reached the door, she noticed that it was slightly ajar, something she could not say with certainty would be unusual, but in her experience unoccupied rooms tended to have doors that were either closed or open. Hackles raised, she approached cautiously and then drew her pistol before nudging it fully open with her toe. Stepping inside the doorway, she instantly lowered her weapon. The room was empty.

As her eyes swept the room, her heart began to ache. From out of nowhere, it suddenly struck Emma that this was where Ruby and Regina slept each night, the place where they lived and loved and made memories together that would last a lifetime. And although that simple yet intimate fact made her feel very much like an intruder upon this most private sanctum, she had a job to do and trusted no one else to do it. As such, she was determined to be as respectful as possible, though she would have been anyway when considering that if it were her own bedroom being searched, she would hope the investigator would extend her such respect.

From the confines of the doorway, Emma once more scanned over the width and breadth of the room. As to be expected, the fastidious woman who was once Queen of the Enchanted Forest and who currently reigned Storybrooke as Mayor kept things very tidy. Everything in the room appeared spic and span from top to bottom, and to such a degree that Emma was fairly certain if she wished to search the room with a magnifying glass, there would not be a mote of dust to be found on any surface. Smirking slightly, she also noted that the room was free of the haphazardly discarded clothing which would be an all too familiar sight in her own bedroom. Her eyes next fell upon the bed, which she saw was neatly made, the covers crisply folded back and the pillows perfectly fluffed with their cases smoothed as if prepped to be photographed for _Better Homes and Gardens_.

There were, however, a few things she noticed that were different since the last time she had been in Regina's bedroom. Standing in the doorway, Emma reflected upon that particular occasion.

About six months after Ruby moved in, both she and Henry had come down with a particularly vicious strain of flu. Of course, Regina being Regina had run herself ragged taking care of them both before finally breaking down and calling Emma in for help after two days with no sleep. She could distinctly remember the harried look Regina was wearing as the door was opened and that instantly gave way to relief at recognizing Emma was carrying an overnight bag.

It initially startled Emma at how unkempt Regina looked, wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a Star Wars themed t-shirt Ruby had obviously bought her that read in bold letters: "The sass is strong with this one." Emma would have laughed at the shirt had Regina not looked like she'd run a marathon and then been run over _by_ a marathon immediately afterward.

It took nearly an hour for her to convince Regina to go lay down while she tended to her sick son and friend. After the too-proud-for-her-own-good woman finally relented, Emma made some soup and fed the afflicted one at a time, Henry first who was too dulled by infirmity to protest and Ruby second who whined at being treated like a child but did not refuse the patiently offered spoonfulls of chicken noodle soup. Within minutes of eating, both Ruby and Henry passed out.

With some free time on her hands, Emma cleaned up after herself by doing the dishes and then decided to sit down and watch some TV for a while. But before she did, she went to check in on Regina. When she'd nudged the door of the master bedroom open in much the same way as she had just moments ago, she had found Regina in bed atop the covers, her face betraying her exhaustion even in sleep as she snored in a rather undignified manner. Not wanting to disturb the bedraggled but heroic woman, Emma did not lingered long except to gently place a blanket over Regina's sleeping form. Even in that brief amount of time she was afforded a good look around the bedroom that she was not surprised to find very much reflected the meticulous and organized nature of Regina Mills.

Although the room was still very tidy, Emma could now clearly see Ruby's influence. For instance, one of her friend's red hoodies was hanging off of the open closet door, and there was also a pair of her running shoes on the floor next to the nightstand on the left-hand side of the bed. On top of that same nightstand beside a silver reading lamp, there was a scrunchie hair band laying next to whatever book Ruby was currently reading through. Also, one of Ruby's favorite necklaces was dangling from the post of the headboard on her side, and it's garnet gemstone glinted in the low evening sunlight.

It was not much, but Regina would not have permitted even those few things a handful of years before. As much of a perfectionist as Emma knew the woman to be, it was actually quite remarkable that she didn't expect Ruby to keep her things as perfectly put away as she did, and the fact that she didn't showed how much the once broken, lonely woman had adapted to being in a stable and healthy relationship. But even more so, it served as an example of Regina's love for Ruby, which ran deeply enough to override her controlling tendencies in order to extend a few exclusive graces to the woman she loved.

Yet, the evidence of Ruby's influence on the former Queen the bedroom offered did not end there. On the other side of the bed was an antique arm chair resting against the wall, and in it was a neatly folded, though obviously well-worn Storybrooke High t-shirt that Emma recognized as belonging to Ruby. She knew this because Ruby had worn that same shirt several times when they casually met to hang out. So nearly ubiquitous was it that Emma had once jokingly suggested that Ruby should just put the poor shirt out of its misery, to which Ruby responded with a frown, "but I love this shirt 'cause it's good and worn in."

However, not terribly long after Ruby moved in with Regina, the t-shirt mysteriously disappeared, which made Emma assume that her friend had finally heeded her advice. Obviously that assumption was wrong, as was proven by it being so carefully folded and resting in a chair on Regina's side of the bed. What that simple little detail revealed made Emma smile.

Apparently Miss Primly-Proper-and-Elegantly-Classy Mills had developed a penchant for sleeping in her girlfriend's clothes. What would be considered a very pedestrian habit in the general populace was anything but when applied to Regina, so such intimate sentimentality was jarring, particularly when thinking back to the arrogant woman Emma had met back when she first arrived in Storybrooke.

There was one particular incident that Emma could explicitly remember in which Regina had been pissed about something or other and knocked loudly on her door early one morning. As Emma had done once before, she opened the door in her sleep attire, a tank-top and her undies, and though Regina did not comment on her appearance, the flagrant look of condescension that formed on the woman's face had infuriated her sleep-addled self. Somehow during the minute of the mostly one-sided conversation that followed, Emma managed to maintain an aura of civility until Regina was done bitching. Soon enough, the mayor was stomping away down the hall in a huff, angry at being ignored.

Later on that day, Emma was summoned to the mayors office to discuss some pending jurisdictional issues, and during the conversation, Regina casually worked in a mention of her "rather unfortunate" choice in nightwear. Her tone haughty, Regina had then gone on to state that nothing but silk would ever touch her skin again. The reply Emma returned was purposely inappropriate and left her then bitter rival steaming, but that was not that point. The point was that despite Regina's earnest protestations at the time, Emma now had evidence to the contrary and oddly enough, she wasn't even remotely tempted to use the information as leverage against her. Instead, the thought of the former Queen sleeping in her girlfriend's ratty old t-shirt was so adorable that it made Emma feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Still standing in the doorway and feeling a bit hopeful, she took a moment to look around the room again. As she once more took in the warm environment of a room frequently filled with love, she could almost envision Regina there on the bed, proudly wearing Ruby's faded tee as she read silently next to her peacefully sleeping partner. The internal imagery offered Emma such a scene of domestic contentment that it nearly brought tears to her eyes on their behalf. Both women had fought for so long to have the kind of happy life they had built with one another and in one terrible moment, they had almost lost it forever. What made it even worse was that they still might.

Sure, Regina would recover, but what of Ruby? Emma could not explain why, but she was very afraid that at the end of the their investigation, however long it wound up taking, they were going to find Ruby dead. It was sickening to even consider the possibility when she was standing in the bedroom Ruby had shared with Regina for 3 years, a room littered with little scraps of evidence of their love. Fate could not be so cruel as to separate two people who had spent their entire lives looking for one another. It was too tragic an outcome to even contemplate.

Reigning in her wandering thoughts, Emma refocused herself and trailed her eyes across the room to the dresser resting along on the opposite wall from the bed. She had her target. If the assault had been in any way linked to robbery, she would find most of the valuables from the jewelry boxes atop it gone. After crossing over to the grandly expensive looking piece of furniture, she opened each box individually, finding her suspicions to be confirmed. Each one appeared undisturbed.

With robbery and vandalism ruled out as a motive on her end, Emma knew she had to return to the foyer and attempt to glean out enough information to deduce what had happened there. She hastily made her way back downstairs to find her father already on his haunches, intently studying the scene.

"Did you find anything?" she asked him.

The only movement he made was to shake his head in the negative. "No. From what I could tell, nothing was disturbed or taken. You?"

"The same," Emma answered, moving over to stand next to her crouching father. He stood and once he was straightened back up, she met his curious eyes. "The bedrooms were all in pristine condition, even the master. Nothing valuable was taken. All of their jewelry was left alone. I think this was a straight up attack on Regina."

David nodded gravely. "I have to agree, but like you said, that's awfully bold considering what she's capable of. I guarantee there's no one in town that doesn't know it, and if they don't fear her, they at least respect her."

"You're right," Emma replied, "thus my earlier comment about how dangerous this guy is. He chose to attack Regina, despite who she is and what she can do, so he's either a lunatic or has ice for blood. Neither bodes well for Ruby."

Extending out his arm, David wrapped his large hand around her bicep and gave it a tender squeeze. "I don't think we should jump to conclusions just yet, sweetheart. You heard what your mother said, she used to disappear for days and weeks at a time back home."

Emma ran a frustrated hand through her hair. She had been analyzing the facts since the moment she walked into the house, and her investigative instincts were screaming at her of the danger Ruby was in. She understood her father's desire to stay positive by remembering how things were back in the Enchanted Forest, but this wasn't the Enchanted Forest, things worked differently here. People behaved and thought differently here. As someone who had grown up in this world, as a realist who had long outgrown comforting herself over accepting brutal facts, she needed her father to understand that.

"This isn't 'back home', though, is it?" she began to explain. "I know the Enchanted Forest was a dangerous place, but the thing is: so did everyone who ever lived there. It was an understood fact of life there that every time you walked out your front door, it might be the last. Danger lurked around every corner from bandits or ogres or the weather or any number of fearsome beasts. Magic was in the air. Evil was open and obvious. Remember, I was there twice. I know how it was.

"But it's different here. Despite how many threats we've faced in Storybrooke, the quaint charm of such a small town in this very modern world has lulled everyone into a false sense of security. Even Ruby has fell prey I'm afraid, because the fact remains that she is out there chasing after somebody who is more dangerous than I believe she realizes."

Taking a breath, Emma turned her focus back to the crime scene and gestured to the broken front door. "Let me explain. The attack didn't happen until Regina had come to answer the door. I know that because there was bruising on her forehead and nose that had yet to heal when I visited her and Henry earlier. That suggests to me that the front door was kicked open in her face."

Turning a bit, Emma then pointed to the table against the wall. "After she was hit, the force of the blow knocked her back into the table, which caused whatever was there to crash to the floor. That's where all the glass came from. While she was disoriented and unable to defend herself, the assailant charged from the doorway and stabbed her once in the chest."

Emma sighed through her nose once her narrative had ended and her face was pinched at the distasteful images evoked by running through the scenario. She had her father's rapt attention, though.

"Alright," he nodded, "I'm with you so far. But what's your point?"

"My point is," Emma continued, "that I think this attack on Regina was well-planned and well-executed. There is no sign of hesitation, so I think it was committed by a person who works well under pressure. This was the work of a meticulous individual, the kind who will be prepared for contingencies. And let's not forget that Regina should be dead. The amount of blood loss she experienced would have quickly rendered her unconscious. He had plenty of time to finish her off, yet didn't. I think he left her alive on purpose."

"What are you saying?" he asked, clearly having drawn the same conclusion as Emma had but needing to hear her confirm it. Though it pained her to say it out loud, she knew she had to.

Emma clenched her eyes shut and averted her eyes, taking a moment to draw a breath. Gathering her courage, she then spit out her spine chilling conclusion. "For what reason I can't tell," she said, and then returned her attention to her father. "But he is expecting Ruby to coming for him – maybe even wants it. Maybe this wasn't ever about Regina in the first place. I don't know. But I do believe that if she hasn't found him yet, when she does he'll be ready and waiting."

At hearing Emma's deduction, David hung his head. "Well, I hope to God you're wrong," he said as he stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his blue jeans. "But even if you're not, all we can really do right now is concentrate on what we can control. So let's try to find her before she finds him and maybe we can prevent anything else from happening tonight."

"Yeah, that would be ideal," Emma nodded. "How do you suggest we do that?"

"Simple," her father answered as he pointedly focused his eyes on the wood floors of the foyer. "We track her."

Following his eyes, Emma could see a faint line of paw prints she had missed upon her initial examination. They were both coming into the house and leading away from it. Although a fairly obvious guess, she had been correct in assuming Ruby would visit the scene in order to pick up the trail of her prey.

After indicating with her hand for her father to lead on, Emma fell in behind him. He was an excellent tracker and by far the better of the two of them, but she suddenly wished her mother was with her. It was almost uncanny how good the woman was. In fact, all of the legendary Snow White's senses were finely honed for the hunt, her time as a renegade bandit having served her well in that regard. Emma had borne witness to that skill during their time in the Enchanted Forest right after the Curse broke. Her mother was unavailable, though, and as much as Emma would have liked to utilize her ability, she did not regret the decision to leave her behind. She and her father would just have to make due.

The trail leading out of the house was easy enough for them to follow, as Ruby's paw prints were visible against the concrete of the front walkway now that Emma knew to look for them. It was sort of one of those Where's Waldo effects in which something could not be seen unless it was being expressly searched for. However, as they reached the sidewalk running parallel to the road, the prints became harder to trail, at first faint but remaining somewhat visible, but as they went further, they began to fade increasingly faster. Finally about two blocks from Regina's house, the trail disappeared completely.

Disconcerted by the loss, David searched around the immediate vicinity for an alternate means to track Ruby but found nothing. After discussing alternatives, they then decided to split up in order to maximize efficiency and agreed to meet back at that spot in half an hour. Taking the north side of the road, Emma commenced her search.

Not the best in terms of tracking skill, she knew she was unlikely to find any evidence of Ruby's movements, but she did as thorough a job as she knew how to. As she walked further up the sidewalk and then crossed the street to go down an intersecting road, she made sure to look for signs of disturbed grass in yards or any further prints on the paved surfaces that might indicate what direction Ruby might have headed. All too soon, the 30 minutes expired, and having failed to turn up even the most miniscule of leads, Emma headed back to meet her father, feeling almost despondent.

As she approached the spot she had left him, she took in his expression. The look of defeat on his face told her everything she needed to know. Her hopes sank even lower.

"Did you find anything?" Emma asked anyway.

David shook his head. "No. How about you?"

Lifting her eyes to the sky, she gave a forlorn sigh. "Nothing."

"Dammit, Ruby!" her father suddenly exclaimed, his entire countenance becoming laden with frustration as his arms came to rest akimbo. He looked as frustrated as she had ever seen him.

Looking at him worriedly, Emma decided to prompt an explanation. "What is it?"

David wearily rubbed his forehead. "She knew that we would eventually come after her. She stuck to paved surfaces knowing that what little dirt she had on her paws would wear off, and that once it did I would be unable to track her. This lack of evidence is deliberate. She wants to do this on her own, and believe me, when Ruby doesn't want to be found, she won't be."

As his words settled in her gut, Emma felt her chest tighten. The situation was as she had feared in that Ruby had no intentions of asking for help and to that end had left no trail with which to track her movements. Emma suddenly sympathized with her father's frustration because she knew as well as he did that there was nothing they could do now but wait, and she hated waiting more than anything.

Opening her mouth to reply, she was interrupted by the unexpectedly loud ringing of her phone. As it blared out the clichéd-albeit-appropriate introductory notes of "Sweet Child 'O Mine," she fumbled around in the tight hip pocket of her jeans until she was finally able to pull the phone free. Once out of her pocket, she held it up to her face and looked at the screen out of habit. It was Henry.

Remembering she had been in the middle of a conversation, she glanced up at her father, who in turn gestured for her to answer. "Well," Emma said in answer to him as she pinched the bridge of her nose while lifting the phone to her ear, "I guess we'll just have to take Mom's advice and trust that she knows what she's doing. Hey, kid. What's up?"

" _Hey, Mom,_ " Henry replied over the phone, sounding very tired. " _I take it you didn't find Ruby?_ "

Emma sighed into the speaker and shook her head, despite the fact that he was unable to see her. "No, we didn't. We lost her trail about 2 blocks away from the house. I'm sorry."

Henry echoed her sigh with one of his own. " _It's not your fault. I didn't honestly expect for you to find her, but I was kinda hoping, you know? 'Cause Mom is gonna freak out if she wakes up and Ruby isn't here._ "

Even though Henry was likely correct in his assumption, Emma could hear the disappointment and concern in his voice, despite him stating that his concern was on his mother's behalf. While such deflection was typical of someone his age, she found herself longing for the days when he shared everything with her: his doubts, his fears, his hopes, and his dreams. He tended to internalize a lot of that now, which was just a part of his transition into adulthood, although recognizing that did little to ease the sting of knowing her son did not need her so much anymore.

In any case, he might not need her, but as his mother she still felt compelled to try and assuage his fears as best she could.

"And that still might happen," she offered encouragingly, glancing at her father, who was smiling at her with encouragement of his own. "Ruby's capable and tough, so I'm sure she's fine. In fact, I bet we'll be hearing from her soon."

" _Yeah, you're probably right,"_ Henry responded, trying to sound as if he believed her but mostly failing. Emma could hear the doubt in his voice and she wished for all the world that it didn't resonate with her own. The only difference between them was that she was a much more practiced liar than her son, which was kind of a depressing acknowledgment all on its own. The cost of adulthood was high in many regards.

"So, how are things there?" she asked in an attempt to distract him from his worries. "Have you heard anything more from Whale about your Mom?"

" _That's actually why I was calling_ ," was Henry's answer, and Emma was relieved to hear the tone of his voice pick up a bit. " _Mom started moving around and mumbling a bit, so I called Dr. Whale in. He doesn't think it will be long before she wakes up._ "

Despite her own concern for Ruby, Emma managed a genuine grin. "That's good news!"

At her exclamation, her father quirked an inquiring eyebrow. Emma covered the mic with her hand and then directed her hopeful smile onto him.

"Henry said Regina should be waking up any time now," she explained.

David smiled widely at the news, his spirits marginally buoyed. "That's great! Tell him we'll head back that way. There's nothing more we can do here, so we should be there when she wakes up."

Emma agreed with her father, though she was discouraged by what she perceived as her failure to help the woman she considered to be her best friend. Her heart wanted to disagree, but in her head, she realized that there really was nothing more to be done as far as searching for Ruby. Sure, they could stay the course, but outside of happenstance or an extensive investigation, the likelihood of discovering Ruby's whereabouts were slim to none. Those most unfavorable odds left only one logical course of action. As such, she was forced to rely on having faith that Ruby would turn up soon, which was a position Emma thoroughly detested being in.

At times like this, she wished she were more like her mother, who seemed to have a nearly inexhaustible supply of hope from which to draw, but she sadly she was not very much like her mother at all. Emma did not deal in such intangible things, and though she had learned to value them in certain ways, she did she place her full trust in them either. Because of that, she knew that as time wore on, the implications as to what was detaining Ruby grew exponentially dismal. In turn, that made it very difficult for her to pull the plug on the search, for if it turned out that Ruby was indeed hurt or worse, she didn't think she could live with the guilt of having given up so soon.

But even as much as she hated the thought that she might be consigning Ruby to her fate, as it were, there were simply no other alternatives available on such short notice. She had no choice.

After nodding in resigned agreement to her father, Emma removed her hand from the phone's mic. "Listen, kid, both Dad and I agree that we've done all we can here, so we're going to head back your way."

" _Alright_ ," was Henry's understanding response. Emma was glad that he was not angry at her for giving up. She doubted his mother would feel the same, though. " _And if Mom wakes up and asks about Ruby, what should I tell her?_ "

"Just tell her the truth," Emma instructed, knowing how Regina hated being lied to or kept in the dark, even if it was for her own good. Besides, if it were Emma in that hospital bed, she would want to know about Killian. "There's no reason to jump to conclusions just yet, so try to keep her calm and we'll be there as soon as possible, okay?"

" _Okay, see you soon._ "

"Alright. I love you, Henry."

" _Love you, too, Mom._ "

With that, Emma heard the tell-tale click of static that signaled the call had been disconnected. After taking a brief moment to collect herself, she looked up at her father once more. "Let's get going. I wanna get back before Regina wakes up if at all possible."

Instead of answering audibly, he nodded and turned away to begin the walk back to Regina's house.

As they traversed the relatively short but experientially eternal distance side by side, Emma couldn't help but feel like she was making a terrible mistake. All of her instincts were screaming at her that something was wrong and that Ruby was in mortal peril, but what could she do? Considering she was not yet ready to consult magical means, she had racked her brain to come up with any other kind of solution that might lead her to Ruby's location, but every possible one wound up being tantamount to a shot in the dark. As such, even though she knew she had made the logically correct decision, her anxiety remained and her stomach felt as if it were tied up in knots.

With such heavy thoughts, the walk back to Regina's wound up being one of the most uncomfortable of Emma's life. Every step she took felt like a mile was added to the ever-widening gulf between herself and her best friend, and because the weight of her decision felt like it was crushing her, the relatively short distance was traversed in a thick silence.

Once they reach Regina's house, Emma wasted no time in climbing into her father's truck, and soon after they were both situated, they were speeding off back toward the hospital. And as the sounds of the tires spinning atop the gravel washed over her, Emma found herself sending up a prayer for Ruby to anything or anyone that might be listening. She was not the type of person who believed in much beyond this life, but at that point, she was willing to hedge her bets if helped Ruby to stay safe.

More than anything else at that moment, Emma just wanted to see her best friend again, though for some strange reason she had a feeling that when she finally got her wish it would be under very unpleasant circumstances.


	11. A Rude Awakening

**Notes** : So, I noticed the cover image for this fic wasn't displaying correctly, so I fixed that. I know it's small, but if you strain your eyes, some details about what is coming up can be ascertained. I also fixed a blunder in the previous chapter regarding Ruby calling Granny, which I never mentioned in Ruby's chapters. Go back and re-read the portion in the chapter "The Waiting..." to see it if you wish. It's just after Whale leaves the first time. Sorry for the stupid oversight.

As for this one, editing was a bit of a struggle due to illness, so if there are any suspect passages or errors, let me know and I will fix them. As always, thanks for reading and such. I love you all!

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 10** – A Rude Awakening

Six hours after Ruby had left the hospital, Regina at last began to emerge from her drug-induced coma. In a turn of events she had not expected, Charon was not present to greet her from aboard his dreary ship at the banks of the Styx with pale green flames in his eyes as he held out a bony hand onto which she would then be expected to deposit the true worth of her soul: less a grams worth of silver. Her ears were not ringing with the screeching, strangled voices of the disembodied souls she'd callously slaughtered in one of her many purges. There was no fire and brimstone licking at her heels to match the hellish nature of her crimes, no hulking demons of grotesque design and armed with whips made of white hot plasma with which to draw out restitution ad infinitum from her flesh one deliberate and eager lash at a time.

Regina had never feared death, but to have been spared any form of whatever never-ending torment awaited her in the great beyond was an immense relief. Anchoring that relief and pulling her further from the sticky grip of her repose was the droning, monotonous beeping of machines to her left. The dim, seemingly obscured part of her mind capable of forming coherent thought drew comfort from the sounds indicating she was still alive, that her penance was delayed for however long. Mostly, though, she could barely focus at all. With the way everything was spinning around her, it felt as if the world had suddenly and unilaterally declared she was to be its new axis and thrust that new duty upon her without so much as a warning.

"How rude," she groused to herself as she attempted to kick-start her addled brain back into proper function. Had she been of sounder state, she might have railed against such audacity. However was a lone woman supposed to bear the burden of an entire plant upon her admittedly slim yet exceptionally well-toned shoulders? And that after having been weakened by a viciously inflicted wound to the chest.

The thought of the stabbing sent Regina's stomach turning at once, and her spine chilled as a cold dread crept up it. Realization dawned, and with it, the full onset of sensation. Her whole body tensed. She was coming to.

Groaning as a radiating ache began to pulse from where she'd been stabbed, Regina pressed through it. Though the pain was great, it was not nearly so debilitating as she would have thought considering the gravity of the wound she'd received. As no stranger to imparting such wounds to other less unfortunate individuals than herself, Regina had figured her own to be fatal. And yet contrary to her own belief, she lived.

She had to admit, even if only to herself, that she was very impressed by Whale's efforts. Although she still personally disliked the man and his strange friendship with Ruby, in this instance she was immensely grateful for his skill. Victor Whale was a right bastard, but he had earned his generous salary and then some.

"Perhaps I ought to lobby for him to receive a raise," she suddenly thought to herself. As she shifted on the bed, yet unable or unwilling to attempt opening her eyes, a lance of pain shot through her, which caused her to immediately reconsider such generosity. Under the duress of discomfort she was convinced to amend her assessment of Whale's skill as satisfactory, and with that being the case, he should be glad of what he already got.

Of course, if she'd been able to mend herself, there would have been no residual pain to begin with, but even so Regina was extraordinarily glad she had the foresight to provide for a hospital and a surgeon in the parameters of the Dark Curse. Had she not, magic or no, she would presently be dead. In that sense, then, she supposed she was equally grateful for her own prudence, which made her a bit more relieved in general due to the fact that her debt to Frankenstein was – however little such a consideration may merit – marginalized. In the end, she further justified, Victor had done his damned job, and that should be thanks enough.

Feeling somewhat guilty at her mixed bag of gratitude and antipathy concerning a certain blonde haired doctor who may have just saved her life but was also one of the key figures responsible for her precipitous downfall after Daniel's death, Regina decided it was time to let her troubles with Victor fall by the way side - at least for now. Such negative feelings had no place in her thoughts when they only served as a hindrance to her reentry into the world of the living. After nearly dying, Regina was so very ready to start living again.

After taking a steady breath, she ever-so-slowly began to peel her eyes open, and the second she did, she recoiled with a stunted gasp. The penetrating whiteness of the room flashed on her irises, and the level of illumination was so intense as to nearly blind her. Groggy as she was due to the sedation and shocked by the brightness of the lights, her lids refused to stay open for more than a second. She should not have been surprised. To sensitive eyes that had spent what seemed like days upon days in a blanketing all-encompassing darkness, being baptized in so unholy a light was bound to be a little overwhelming.

Even so, Regina would not allow such insignificant setbacks to deter her. After forcing her eyes open a second time, she was met by a similar result, and likewise the third, and the forth, and so on until at least a minute of discomforted and incessant blinking passed before her vision finally adjusted. It took another few moments of patience, but eventually the residual fog of being anesthetized began to dissipate as well, and pretty soon she was able to both see and think clearly. Now more in control of her faculties, she looked around the room.

Next to the bed on her left-hand side and just a bit removed from the electronic tree of monitors keeping track of her vitals, Henry was scrunched up in a chair that was far too small for a young man of his ever-increasing size and stature. From how his head was lolled to the side on the headrest, Regina knew his neck would vehemently protest when he woke.

Despite the uncomfortable chair and the fact that his mother had almost died, he looked for all intents and purposes at peace. As his mother, seeing him being ravaged by anguish over what had happened would have only made matters worse, so that – at least as far as she could tell – he was not being plagued by the sorts of terrible doubts and fears that infiltrated even the briefest of slumbers. Those were the kind that haunted her when she closed her eyes, and she didn't want them anywhere near her son.

Gazing down at Henry with unmasked affection, Regina felt much of her tension fade away. It continually amazed her that somehow, even with her many missteps in parenting, he had managed grow into the mature, level-headed person that he was today. So much tragedy and heartbreak had occurred in his young life, enough to have broken someone of lesser mettle, and yet he retained his youthful innocence and hopeful nature. Though it pained Regina to admit it to herself even secretly, he was much like his grandmother that way. Still, she also believed that the heart of the truest believer that beat inside his chest probably had a great deal to do with his resilient strength. What influence she had on Henry growing up into such a fine young man was debatable according to whom one consulted, but Regina certainly hoped that she had a part to play in it.

But however happy she was to see her son, there was a notable absence in the room that caused her anxieties to return with a vengeance. For whatever reason, Ruby was missing from her bedside. A terrible feeling descended upon Regina that she should know why, so she began to frantically sift through her memories for the reason.

Still about hazy about the details of the attack on her person, one thing Regina could remember very distinctly was that before...it...happened, Ruby was late coming home, and had not bothered to contact Regina as to why. Because Ruby was never late without at least calling ahead of time, Regina had become concerned. And then there was the matter of the incident itself, which her subconscious mind was telling her would yield relevant information, but which she was as of yet unable to access. Normally her brain refusing to cooperate would not have been a matter of frustration, but because her body was severely weakened by her injury, she could not yet afford to search her memories with magic.

The combination of all these things made it hard for Regina to keep her imagination from running away from her. She couldn't imagine what could be so important as to keep Ruby from her side. After three years together, she was certain beyond a shadow of doubt that there was nothing or no one more important to Ruby than herself and Henry, and yet she was not present. To Regina, that only lead to extremely uncomfortable conclusions.

Something was wrong. She could feel it in her chest, that old sensation as if a corkscrew of uncertainty laced with profound dread was swirling perpetually over her heart. It was far too similar for her liking to what she'd felt that night long ago as she'd spirited away from her lush castle prison toward the simple freedom of a new life awaiting her at the stables. Daniel had been there there that night as agreed, making ready for their swift departure for lands unknown, adventures aplenty, and a love that would last a lifetime. Only that beautiful future they'd dreamed of sharing was cruelly ripped away and quite literally reduced to dust by the very same hands that had held Regina as a child, offered her only glimpses of kindness and which had relentlessly, pitilessly molded her into the woman she became. That she was feeling this way now for the first time in nearly 40 years gave her the kind of pause that generally preceded portents of doom.

Because of how severely she had been injured, Regina was cognizant that the rapidly swelling panic building up in her chest was in no way conducive to her improved health. However, it was very difficult to rein in her emotions when every time she blinked she was assaulted by flashes of her mother with a heart in her hands, lips sneering and fingers squeezing around the vibrant red organ as she prepared to crush it. Only this time, it was not Daniel's heart she was holding, but Ruby's.

The thought of something so unspeakable happening to Ruby made Regina want to cast all cares of her own health aside in order to search for her absent partner, but it was not yet time to panic. There was another way to get answers, and one that did not require her to potentially incur a setback by leaving her bed of recovery.

Focusing in on her sleeping son, Regina attempted to raise him. "Henry," she croaked with a barely audible voice. The effort to speak through such a dry, scratchy throat caused her to cough, and that in turn reignited the pain in her chest. Regina gritted her teeth against it.

Thankfully, the cough was not without effect, for Henry woke to the sound and began rubbing his eyes with back of his hand. With a prolonged yawned, he stretched his hands over his head, sighed, and then settled back into seated position. Regina thought for a moment he might fall back asleep, but she was proven wrong when his brown eyes appeared behind hooded lids. He blearily regarded her.

Upon seeing that she was awake, his demeanor instantly shifted into alertness. "Mom?"

Regina smiled as much as she could manage. "Water," she whispered, in desperate need of it for the parched strip of desert highway that was her throat.

Henry nodded. Unfolding himself out of the tiny chair he had been sleeping in was an impressive feat to Regina, but having managed that, Henry then stood and stretched his neck to work out the kinks. After a groan of relief, he smiled at her and then proceeded to the door where, once he had opened it, he poked his head out into the hallway.

"Hey!" he shouted. "My mom is awake! She needs some water or ice chips or something in here!"

Chuckling gingerly to avoid aggravating her injury, Regina allowed humor at her son's lack of tact to drown out her disapproval over his undignified delivery. Occasions such as these made her wonder where the polite boy she raised had disappeared to, and while she supposed she could blame Emma or Ruby for being bad influences on him, his behavior was mostly due to his age. Breaches of etiquette to a teenager – infrequent as they were to one of Henry's relative goodness – were tantamount to mini-rebellions where each break of decorum was a little assertion of independence from the mores that had been instilled upon him from his youth.

Advanced in age, wisdom, patience, and humor as she was, Regina no longer allowed a such poor example of comportment to incite a reaction out of her. In addition to becoming less volatile in her reactions, she had learned to pick her battles wisely. Correcting Henry's social impropriety at such a time was one battle she did not have the time or energy to fight, so she decided to let it slide. Besides, she was far too weary to be cross with him.

From somewhere down the hallway, she vaguely heard a response to Henry's call. She couldn't make out the words, though she could tell the voice originated from a woman. Seemingly satisfied with whatever answer was given, Henry returned to his seat.

As he looked up at Regina, she could see more emotion written in his features than she had seen from him in a long time. Leaning forward, he took her hand between his much larger ones, looking like he wanted to say something before deciding otherwise. Taking comfort in one another, they waited in companionable silence.

The nurse who entered her room no more than a minute later was a pretty middle aged lady of average height with corn colored hair tied up in a neat bun. Regina instantly recognized the woman as a member of the Royal Apothecary during her time as Queen. Though Regina had interacted with her several times, to her shame, she could not recall her name.

"Hello, Miss Mills," the familiar nurse greeted happily, a plastic cup laden with ice chips in one hand, along with a pitcher of water in the other. "My name is Belinda and I'm your shift nurse for the moment. I'm so glad to see you're awake. I understand you gave everyone quite a scare."

" _Ah, Belinda_ ," Regina thought, the name clicking in her mind, though she gave no response beyond a reserved smile.

The brilliant green eyes of the nurse showed that she recognized Regina, but she chose not to acknowledge that fact. Regina was relieved. She was not in the mood for any type of confrontation at the moment.

Seeming to understand why no response was given, Belinda crossed over to the table resting near the foot of Regina's bed, and there deposited the items in her hands. She then retrieved Regina's chart and began to record her latest vital signs, making an efficient job of it before returning to retrieve the cup of ice chips. After moving to the side of the bed, she handed them to Regina.

"Go easy on these, okay?" Belinda patiently instructed. Regina was, as Emma or Ruby would have put it, a grown ass woman who did not need to be told how to manage eating ice chips as if she were a child. But since Belinda was simply doing her job, she permitted the instruction. "One at a time. Let the ice melt in your mouth. When you take care of those, if you need something more and think you can handle it, your son can pour you a bit of water in the cup to sip."

"Thank you, Belinda," Henry replied appreciatively as Regina greedily retrieved an ice chip and began to suck on it. The return of moisture to her parched mouth felt incredible. Unable to audibly thank the woman, she gave what she hoped amounted to something resembling a grateful smile, which it apparently did because Belinda returned it enthusiastically.

"You're very welcome," the nurse chirped. "Now, I don't want you trying to get up and about just yet. All of your numbers look good and Dr. Whale informed me that you were almost completely healed, but even so, your body just underwent a severe trauma. You still need to rest and limit your exertion."

Regina nodded weakly. She knew the nurse was correct but pride prevented her from outright acquiescence. "I'll try." Her voice was a bit broken still, but she felt she'd owed Belinda a response for the kindness with which she discharged her duty.

"Alright then, I'll let you rest," Belinda then said, and moved to the door with a final smile that was every bit as pretty as she was. "I'll be back in an hour or so to check in on you again. If you should need me before then, don't hesitate to hit the call button on the remote next to you."

Picking up said remote, Regina flourished it with a wry smile, trying to balance her gratitude to the overly friendly member of the hospital staff with her annoyance at the continued presence in her room. "I understand. Thank you, Belinda."

With another cheery smile, Nurse Belinda exited the room. Regina couldn't help the roll of her eyes that followed. Some people really were just too happy for their own good. She remembered Belinda to be just such a person back in the Enchanted Forest and apparently nothing had changed in that department in the intervening years.

As soon as the door closed, Regina swallowed her nearly depleted ice chip and began to work on another. Silence descended over the room. In his chair, Henry sat staring blankly out at the far wall, his entire body coiled up like a spring. But he said nothing, and made no indication that was going to change. Not wanting to prompt conversation because she was not yet ready for it, she went about restoring her mouth from its cotton-textured state one ice chip at a time until the cup was empty.

After that, Henry wordlessly took the cup from her and poured a bit a water into it. When he offered it to her, his face was nearly unreadable, and Regina wondered when he had got so good at hiding his emotions from her.

Henry had never been the kind of boy capable of concealing himself from her, and it had served her well over the years to be aware when he was sad or angry or hurt and didn't want to tell her. But now it seemed that he had grown into a man overnight. She could not tell what he was thinking and it was scary. Had her injury really been so traumatic to him after all? The thought made her flush with guilt.

Still, she said nothing as she smiled at him and took the proffered cup of water. As Henry dropped his hands to his sides and turned away, she took a gentle sip from the straw. The water felt like liquid heaven, and before swallowing she swished it about a few times to rid herself of the last vestiges of the desert that had once inhabited her mouth. She repeated this process twice.

But then Henry suddenly rounded on her without warning. "You scared us, Mom," he said, snapping the tense silence. The abrupt manner of his address startled her. She turned to him with widened eyes and gulped down the half melted piece of ice she'd been working on. "You really, really scared us," he then reiterated, less accusatory and much more genuine in the expressed emotion. "Dr. Whale told us your heart stopped twice. I was afraid I was gonna lose you."

Regina's head sank into her chest at the severity of worry she could hear in Henry's voice. She also did so to hide her reaction at the information that her heart had stopped. It _had_ been as bad as she had thought, then. Blanching somewhat, she picked at the blanket folded down at her lap and then peered up at Henry through her eyelashes. It was an odd role reversal for her to live through.

"I'm sorry for that, sweetheart...so very sorry." At least, she thought, her voice was returned to an almost normal state.

Squeezing her hand, Henry gave her a little smile. "It's not your fault, Mom. You didn't ask for this to happen. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Me, too," Regina agreed, lifting her head to return his smile. But then Ruby's absence wormed its way to the forefront of her mind again. Her brow furrowed in worry. "Henry, why isn't Ruby here? Is she still at work? Has no one called her?"

"She's not at work, Mom, it's almost 10 pm," Henry replied, his face tightening. "She was here earlier, but she left once we knew you were going be okay. It was about 4 then, so she's been gone almost 6 hours now."

Regina could tell that Ruby's absence was a sore spot for Henry. If she were to be honest, it also hurt her quite a bit that Ruby was not there when she woke up. After such a frightening moment of crisis, she had needed the comfort of her partner's presence in the room. If the situations had been reversed, wild horses would not have been able to pry her from Ruby's side, so she couldn't begin to fathom what was keeping her girlfriend away...other, that is, than those awful things she did not want to give any kind credence to.

"And she hasn't called?" she asked, hoping to alleviate her mounting concern.

He shook his head. "No, she hasn't and that has me and every one else very worried."

"Me, too," Regina agreed, feeling a ball of discomfort in the pit of her stomach at the mention of 'everyone else'. Apparently, wherever Ruby was, she was on her own, which only exacerbated Regina's already prominent apprehension. "Did she at least say where she was going?"

While true that she was hurt that Ruby wasn't there, Regina also knew her girlfriend well enough to know that her departure must have been for a very good reason. Before the unmitigated disaster of the past few months that was Ruby's second job, Regina had never been given a reason to doubt her girlfriend's absolute and unwavering devotion, and even with all that had transpired since, she could not help but believe that Ruby still loved her.

At her question, however, Henry's frustration gave way to a deep, foreboding expression that made Regina's breath catch. "She did, but I already knew where she was going, and if you really think about it, I think you do, too."

When combined with the gravity of his features, Henry's words told Regina everything she needed to know. Ruby was going after the man who had attacked her. Cursing at Ruby under her breath, Regina bit at her lip to contain more colorful language from escaping at elevated volumes. How could she be so foolish, so impulsive as to go off alone after deranged psychopath with no backup at all? What made it worse was that being so close to the full moon meant that Ruby would be wrestling with her wolf for control. Knowing that, Regina's earlier resolve to not stress herself pathetically collapsed.

After so long together, Regina was well acquainted with the possessive and protective nature of the wolf, particularly where her mate was concerned. And that was when Wolf's Time was _not_ in such proximity. With it less than 3 days away, and Regina having nearly been murdered, Ruby was very likely to feel desperate and out of control, and the only reason Regina knew that was because if it were Ruby in the hospital instead of her, she would have felt the same way. In such a precarious state, she was afraid that Ruby would lose herself to the wolf and do something regrettable, perhaps even something unforgivable, and for Ruby to create another stain on her already burdened conscience was the last thing Regina wanted, especially when it was on her behalf.

Such vexing thoughts sorely tempted Regina to damn all common sense. It would be so very easy to just magically transport herself home to begin searching for her girlfriend, but when considering her residual weakness, she did not dare attempt it just yet. Powerful though her magic was, she would be severely limited in her access to it, for when one was physically weak, one was also magically weak.

Being so restricted made the part of Regina that craved control beyond all else bristle. It was hard to swallow the reality that she was forced to leave it to hope that Ruby would not get herself in over her head or worse, but there was really little she could do at the moment.

Looking over to Henry to find him regarding her cautiously, Regina was somewhat appeased that at least his frustration had faded.

"She's going after him," she stated, gazing at Henry questioningly, because as much as she already knew it to be true, she needed to hear him confirm it out loud.

"I believe so," he sadly stated. "She stayed here with you as long as she could, but as soon as she knew you were going to be okay, she was out the door. There was nothing I could do to stop her. I knew it and she knew it, too."

Although Regina could hear latent irritation in Henry's voice that she well understood, she also understood Ruby's motivations for leaving as she had.

"The wolf is driving her to take action right now, Henry," Regina justified on Ruby's behalf. She didn't want her son to be upset with the woman he had gotten so close to over the past three years – especially when there was no real reason to be. "You know that her wolf considers our family to be her pack – that I am her mate." Henry nodded in affirmation. "Well, when a werewolf's pack or their mate are threatened or hurt, they go on the attack. She's acting on instinct right now, so while it's okay to worry about her, I don't want you to blame her for what she can't control."

"I get that, Mom," Henry sighed, "Really, I do. I mean, we almost got to witness her have a meltdown in the lobby earlier."

Along with her concern, Regina's interest was piqued at the new bit of information. "Oh? What happened?"

Henry shrugged as if it was no big deal, which ran contrary to what he actually said. "I came in while it was happening, but Emma said that when Ruby smelled your blood, she lost it. Her eyes turned yellow and she almost transformed right then and there. Emma was able to talk her down but I think it scared Ruby pretty bad."

"I never thought I'd see the day I'd say this," Regina sighed, "but thank God for Emma Swan."

After a chuckle somewhat subdued by the subject, Henry turned immediately serious again. "What's going to happen when Ruby finds whoever did this to you?"

Regina's throat constricted at the unexpected question. "I don't know, Henry," she confessed. "And that is what scares me the most." There were, in fact, so many possibilities that it was pointless to even try to speculate. What Regina did know was that it was only a matter of time before Ruby _did_ track down the culprit. No one stayed hidden for long from Storybrooke's resident blood hound.

Standing from his chair, Henry bent over to give his mother a tender kiss of reassurance on the forehead. Despite her Ruby-related anxiety, Regina couldn't help but smile at the open show of affection.

"Don't worry, Mom," he said as he straightened back up. "I know she'll be careful. She always is. But she'll be especially so with the baby on the way." The second those words passed his lips, Henry's eyes grew as wide as saucers and his ears and face began to turn red. With a gasp, he then clapped a hand over his mouth, almost comical in his chagrin. "Oh, crap."

Though the last words were mumbled against his fingers, Regina understood the ones that preceded them perfectly. Rendered temporarily speechless by what she'd heard, she was pretty certain that with her wide eyes and gaping mouth she rather made a rather comical sight herself.

"Did you just say what I think you just said?" she finally asked after recovering from the initial shock.

Staring at the ground, Henry nodded in an abashed manner. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to blurt it out that way. I wanted Ruby to be the one to tell you."

Though her son's display of mortification was adorable, Regina's heart was beginning to race. "Just for clarification's sake, repeat what you just said. And don't you dare attempt to lie or evade the question! I'm your mother. I'll know."

Looking up at her with big doe eyes, Henry uttered the words that would change her life forever.

"You're pregnant, Mom, and Ruby's the...other mom."

To say Regina was flabbergasted would have been a colossal understatement. For a moment it felt like the entire earth had been pulled out from beneath her and that she was floating on a cloud of impossibility. Totally disconnected from reality, she drifted aimlessly on her billowy mattress, thoughts of a long ago time resurfacing as she flitted about the ether.

In particular, she remembered having drank a potion which supposedly rendered her infertile. Accompanying the memory as if in punctuation to how awful it was, she could feel the echoes of its accompanying agony shooting through her abdomen with the unmitigated speed and force of a lightning bolt. That had instigated a brief period of unparalleled stress in her life.

By nurture, Regina was a suspicious woman, so it hadn't taken longer than a few days for her to begin fretting whether or not the potion worked. Of course, her doubt was not due to a lack of confidence in her ability to make such a potion, because of all Regina's magical talents, potion making was her foremost area of expertise. As Rumple had told her once, she was inherently talented at it. And yet, while she was sure of her skill, she had needed more...tangible evidence. Purely for scientific reasons, she soon took a series of carefully screened lovers, driven by a need to prove the efficacy of her potion once and for all. When months passed and she remained delightfully barren, Regina had felt her anxieties drain. She hadn't worried about the possibility of getting pregnant since.

Even though it should be impossible, Regina knew Henry wouldn't lie to her about such a thing. Being a mother was her one true accomplishment in life, something of which he was well aware seeing as he was her pride and joy. Still, she needed to be sure. "Are you certain?"

Henry nodded. "Grandpa confirmed it when he healed you."

"Oh, my God," Regina whispered, trying at last to come to terms with the unexpected news. As if Henry's assertions were not enough, she now had Rumple's to go on, and while she would not put it past her former mentor to torture her with such a falsehood, he would not do the same to Henry. Rumplestiltskin was a complicated man, a manipulator of the highest order, but he loved his grandson.

Doubly confirmed, Regina yet had her doubts, and for a while, her mind swirled. What had happened to free her of the effects of the potion? She wasn't sure, and in her current state, she could hardly begin to think of an explanation. That aside, there were other issues to think of such as the question: was she really ready to bring a child into the world they lived in?

Storybrooke was a place where dangers both earthly and otherworldly tended to lurk around nearly ever corner. Since the Curse broke, the town barely went 6 months without some Disney villain popping up at the most inopportune time. How many times had vast portions of the town been damaged or leveled in the battles that ensued? And that was not to mention that modern life so very fraught with danger on its own. When human nature was accounted for, the ease at which people could hurt one another in this technological world was frightening. Guns and knives and weapons of every sort proliferated the world of which Storybrooke had become a very real part. At any time, some nut-job could decide life was not worth living and shoot up a store or a strip mall or God-forbid, a school. It was no light thing to bring a child into such a world.

And besides all of that, Regina had her own checkered past to consider. Would the child turn against her when it grew up and learned of her heinous acts as Henry once had? Would she make the same tragic mistakes all over again that she had with her son? Those questions thundered around in her brain for several minutes until it finally sank in. Whether she wanted to or not, she was going to be a mother again. This time, though, it would be different and Regina was going to make sure of it. She was determined to apply the lessons she had learned in raising Henry to this precious child that was miraculously growing inside of her body.

The very thought of that tiny speck of life that she had created with Ruby filled her with such joy that she felt like she might burst. At long last, she was going to get to experience a pregnancy with all its ups and downs, and with all its pains and pleasures. She was going to get to grow as big as whale and waddle around the house bossing Ruby around with unfettered glee. She planned to milk that for all it was worth, though she was sure that Ruby would not mind it one bit. And then, when at last it was time, she was going to give birth and be captivated and astounded by the indescribable feelings that occur when a mother holds their newborn child for the first time in spite of the vicious pains of labor.

"Oh, my God," Regina whispered again, breathing heavily. "I'm pregnant. I can't believe it. I thought it was never going to happen for me. I'm really pregnant?"

"You are," Henry affirmed, his earlier tension finally disappearing under a bright smile. "I'm so happy for you, Mom!"

Regina beamed, glowing despite her unhealthy pallor. "Thank you, sweetheart. That means so much to me."

"Well," he replied, grinning crookedly, "it's not as if I don't benefit as well. Like I was telling Ruby, I finally get to be a big brother, which is kinda exciting for me."

Regina chuckled, and for a moment she merely sat back against her pillows, smiling happily at Henry and basking in the happiness that the news that given her. She couldn't begin to describe the feeling that was coursing through her. She was so happy that it was almost obscene, and her joy was only intensified at knowing Henry shared it.

Losing herself to her thoughts, she began to imagine what the new little addition to their family might look like, not knowing that hours earlier her partner had entertained very similar contemplations. Would it be a boy or a girl? A girl, she thought, somehow sure of that fact. Call it mother's intuition. And who would she look like once she was grown up? A picture formed in Regina's mind of a tall, raven haired young woman with olive skin, big green eyes and Ruby's devastating smile. The thought warmed her heart in a most delicious manner, filling Regina with a sense of awe and wonder that provoked a prickling of tears in her eyes.

But then in her mind's eye, she focused on her daughter's smile, Ruby's smile, and reality flooded back in along the memory of Henry's statement right before his ill-timed blunder. Her little dream crashed to the ground and broke into a million pieces.

"I'm assuming this information is why you mentioned that Ruby would be careful?"

"She was here when Grandpa was, so she knows," Henry confirmed.

Regina bit her lip tentatively. "How did she...react?"

"She said she was over the moon and I believe her," Henry replied, his smile only widening. "She seemed happy, although she also looked about as shocked as you did when we first got the news."

"I imagine so," Regina sighed in relief. If Ruby was happy with this development, then there was absolutely no need for her to worry aside from the obvious reasons like her past, her age, and her magic...though she could dismiss none of those things easily.

She was going to have to talk to Rumple soon and that was a conversation she was not particularly looking forward to; but it had to be done. Thinking about Rumplestiltskin returned her mind back to something else Henry had said.

Regina looked at her son inquisitively. "You said that Rumple had to heal me? Once Victor repaired what he could, my own magic should have taken care of the rest eventually, though it would have taken much longer. So, why the need for his help?"

For a moment, Henry hesitated at answering, which caused Regina's brow to furrow.

"You weren't just stabbed, Mom," Henry finally explained. "You were poisoned with wolfsbane. That's how Grandpa knew Ruby was the other...parent. The poison was attacking the werewolf part of the baby. Your magic was protecting it, so he had to remove the poison and then heal your wound enough so that your magic could do...what it's supposed to."

"Oh," Regina breathed in amazement.

The fact that her child with Ruby was going to be born a werewolf was not in any way surprising to Regina. She had learned long ago from Granny about the methods through which the Lucas family affliction could be passed on. It hadn't been out of concern that she'd approached Granny, more out of an interest in learning more about Ruby's condition.

Regina had always been a curious woman, craving knowledge above power, but being with Ruby, living with her and sharing some of the experiences she went through because of what she was, reignited her dormant thirst to know all she could about werewolves. And since she was a pragmatic and cynical person by nature, she had also not wanted to be accidentally turned, so she could not say her conversation with Granny was not completely without selfish motivations. The point was that she came away secure in the belief that Ruby would not accidentally turn her, so she filed away the extra information until now.

But now that she had need of it, she remembered Granny telling her that besides intentional bites during Wolf's Time, lycanthropy was passed on genetically as well, and that genetic werewolves were far more powerful than turned ones. The information went a long way toward explaining why Ruby was so much stronger and larger than what few wild werewolves Regina had encountered, and that her abilities extended far beyond the influence of the full moon. All of this was now incredibly significant seeing that their child would be as strong or perhaps even stronger than Ruby was.

Still, after having loved and lived with a werewolf for three years, Regina was in no way concerned about the baby being born a lycanthrope. Unlike its other mother, their child would have the support and guidance that Ruby was denied because her mother had abandoned her and her grandmother was too overprotective to teach her how to control her other half. Ruby had grown comfortable enough with her wolf over the course of their relationship that Regina knew she would not only be an amazing mother, but an excellent teacher and guide as well. Their pup, as it were, would be well taken care of.

What Regina's shock stemmed from was the fact that Rumplestiltskin had expended so much effort on her behalf. While she wanted to believe his intentions were purely magnanimous, there was a long and tragic history with him which tempered that desire, causing her to doubt his motivations.

Regarding Henry with a slightly suspicious look, she asked, "And what was his price?"

Instead of being offended, Henry answered evenly, "Nothing. He said he did it for my sake, but I think he also did it because he honestly cares about you."

Regina scoffed at that. Even after his little speech before his temporary banishment, she had a hard time believing that the imp genuinely cared about her, but she could understand why Henry would think so. Her son had a trusting heart that tended to see the best in others, even in his Grandfather, who had lived for over 300 years as the Dark One. However, Regina was not hindered by such a problem.

"Well, he certainly has a strange way of showing it."

Henry gazed at his mother gently. "I know you have a bad history with him," he said, "but you've changed and so has he. Does he still make mistakes? Yes. But don't we all? He was here when you needed him the most, so I think that should count for something, even if it's just a little."

Unable to argue with the logical wisdom her son presented her with, Regina reluctantly nodded. How had it happened that the little, helpless baby she brought back to Storybrooke so long ago was now growing into a young man wise enough to counsel his own mother? Time, that most undeniable, inexorable force, seemed like it had moved an eternity without her even knowing it. Her little boy wasn't so little anymore.

While outwardly she was hesitant to respond, inwardly, her heart was singing at how beautiful a person her son truly was. He had been through so much in his life. Too much in her opinion. The people that loved him had made so many mistakes with him that he had every right to be angry and bitter and scarred, yet instead, Henry was becoming a bright, wise, and hopeful young man that Regina was extraordinarily proud to call her son. If he was willing to vouch for his grandfather, she was willing to at least give Rumple the opportunity to begin to mend the gulf of pain that existed between them. And in doing so, Regina also had to acknowledge that it would take some effort on her part as well, because she was by no means innocent in their decades long feud.

Giving Henry a warm smile, she eventually replied, "I suppose you're right." She held her hand out for him to take and when he did, she squeezed it affectionately. "For you, Henry, I can try." It was a promise she intended to keep.

"That's all I ask," he replied in genuine satisfaction, a wide smile on his face.

After a few seconds of silence, Henry then stood. "Listen, I'm not running out on you or anything, but I need to let everyone know that you're awake. I promised."

Regina nodded, knowing that she could use a few moments to herself to contemplate things. "Of course."

Bending down once more, Henry gave her another kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Mom," he whispered earnestly. "I'm so glad that you're okay."

Reaching out her hand, Regina lovingly stroked her sons cheek. "I love you, too, my sweet boy."

Henry nuzzled into her hand for a moment, then moved away, walking to the door. "I'll be right back."

"Alright, dear." When Henry started to walk through the door, Regina called out to him to stop him. "Wait!" He did, looking back at her expectantly. "I need you to do two things for me."

"Sure." Henry replied.

"Call your Grandfather and have him come here directly," she instructed him. "I need to discuss some things with him and ask him a few questions that only he will have the answers to."

Henry nodded. "I can do that. What else?"

Biting her lip, Regina stifled her emotions. "See if you can get Ruby on the phone. I need to know that she's okay."

"I will," he nodded sadly, and with that, her son departed down the hallway and out of sight.

Regina closed her eyes and exhaled, laden with worry and exhaustion. There were two things now warring for dominance in her mind: exuberance at her pregnancy and concern for the mother of her child. As much as she wished to rest for a while in her happy little pregnancy bubble, it was continually being burst.

Somewhere out there, operating under the seductive and deceptive sway of vengeance, Ruby was hunting down a very dangerous man all on her own. Despite how adept in combat Regina knew her werewolf to be, the person who had attacked her was no ordinary foe. After all, he had completely bushwhacked her, catching her so off-guard he had stabbed her before she could even process what had happened.

In an honest opinion as devoid of ego as was possible in self-assessment, Regina considered herself a difficult person to catch unawares, even on her worst days. This instinct of self-preservation stemmed from being a woman with countless scores of enemies who were constantly out for her head. As such, she had developed a keen sense of danger out of sheer necessity for survival, for had she not, she would have been assassinated long ago in one of the various attempts – some were very well-planned which almost succeeded while most were boneheaded acts of passion that were swiftly dealt with – on her life.

And even though she had been distracted by Ruby's tardiness, that in no way detracted from the complete surprise the assailant achieved in order to immediately leverage control of the situation. They'd known she was about to answer the door and had patience enough to wait for the opportune moment to kick it open in her face. The blow had disoriented her enough that the subsequent attack had been indefensible. It was never wise to underestimate a person capable of such cold, calculated violence. Regina should know. She was such a person once upon a time.

When thinking about the attack, Regina had a feeling in the back of her mind that she had recognized the person who assaulted her and that it was imperative to remember who it was. Turning her thoughts back to the instant before the attack, she allowed the events to play through her mind in order to do so. Though her head was still slightly aching from trauma and the after-effects of the drugs that had kept her sedated, she wielded her focus like a sword, cutting through her memories until she arrived at the correct moment.

Once immersed in the terrible recollection, she could clearly see the front door of her home as she approached it and reached down to grasp the knob. The second her hand touched it, the door was suddenly and forcefully kicked in, impacting her forehead so as to send her careening back into the table next to the wall. As she braced herself against the table to gather her wits, the attacker rushed her. She looked up just in time to see the glint of the blade coming down. But now, in focusing on that split second, she could recall that the man had made a mistake. He had not covered his face, and upon catching a glimpse of his features, she had recognized him immediately.

Gasping, Regina sat up, ignoring the consequential pain in her chest. Clutching the front of her hospital gown, she was assaulted by an almost overpowering desire to hyperventilate. There was ample cause for her reaction, for the man who had attacked her was the only person in existence with justified cause – misguided though it might be – to harm Ruby.

Just as it had during those awful moments she was being attacked, a terrible revelation dawned for Regina: she was not the intended target of the poisoned blade that had pierced her so very near her heart. Ruby was. Suddenly it all made sense. He was going to kill Ruby and there nothing Regina could do to stop it.


	12. Lonely Ruminations

**Notes** : Not a whole lot to say with this one besides the fact that it was a bear to edit. I hope it's readable. I will warn that it's another long on, so take that under advisement when starting to read it.

As always, love you all bunches. Thanks for reading and reviewing and for the favs/follows! See you all next chapter. Enjoy!

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 11** – Lonely Ruminations

Alone in her hospital room, Regina took a steadying breath and began to mentally accrue facts about the man who now posed a very credible threat to Ruby's life. His name was Joshua Woods and he was the brother of Peter, Ruby's first love in the Enchanted Forest – the very same boy that Ruby had killed when she was still living in ignorance of being a werewolf.

Regina had first come to know of Joshua when Ruby finally opened up about her past after 6 months of Regina wondering how long it would take her new lover to trust her. It happened unexpectedly on an otherwise pedestrian night. Since Henry had already retired to study before bed, she and Ruby were enjoying a glass of wine in the living room. Relaxed and content, she hadn't been anticipating heavy conversation, but out of the blue Ruby started talking.

"Today is the anniversary," she'd said, nearly depleted wine glass cradled loosely in her hand. Her voice was strained and her eyes were focusing in the distance, seeing some far away scene that cast shadows over her ordinarily sunny features. "Well, if something like that could be called an anniversary. God, I can't even tell how long its been now. Sometimes it feels like so ages ago..." Her head shifted, the light of the low fire crackling in the hearth dancing in her troubled eyes. She swallowed thickly. "Or like yesterday."

After placing her wine glass on the end table, Regina reached for Ruby's glass and took it from her, doing the same with it. Ruby turned, eyes widening ever-so-slightly at the action. Shifting on the couch toward Ruby, Regina reached out once more, this time to tuck a strand of errant hair behind her lover's ear. "What are you talking about?"

Ruby worried her lip for several seconds before ducking her head. "When I turned thirteen, I started going on my own to the village nearby Granny's cabin," she began in lieu of direct explanation. "I was old enough to hunt and she'd made sure I was well versed on how to defend myself. People were trustworthy there, you know?" She flicked her eyes up at Regina, big and green and mired in conflict before averting them once more after that distant look reappeared. "While I was out trading eggs for some darning supplies Granny needed, I heard some of them talking. They said there was a vicious monster on the loose decimating their livestock. Whole flocks of sheep were found torn to shreds in the fields, the shepherd dogs slaughtered, throats ripped out.

"It scared me, but not enough to tell Granny about it. We lived in a remote area of the woods where we were well protected, and I...I was just a young, silly girl. I was afraid that she would stop letting me go by myself, and I loved the independence too much to give it up." A crooked smile then formed at her lips. "Besides, at the time, I had better things to worry about, like boys and braiding my hair and climbing trees."

But then her brows drew together and she pursed her lips, exhaling a shaky breath. Regina could do nothing but listen, afraid an interruption would put an end to Ruby's confession. It was something she felt she needed to hear almost as much as Ruby needed to say.

"The next year," Ruby went on, turning her face away once more, though Regina could tell how grave she was, "when the snow began to fall, children started to go missing, too. The villagers began spreading rumors that the 'Big Bad Wolf' was eating them. I was terrified, of course, and ran home straight away to tell Granny. That was the year she bought me my cloak. Traded everything of value she could get her hands on to afford it, which set us back, but because Granny is a frugal woman, she had been saving up. Anyway, after that, the 'Big Bad Wolf' stopped showing up, passing on into legend...for a while."

From where Regina was sitting, Ruby's face was in profile, and though the flickering flames made the viewing of her picturesque features an awe-inspiring one, there were ticks in her jaw that indicated she was getting upset.

"But then I turned 18," she sighed in a manner that was both anguished and angry. Regina would soon find out that those feelings were directed at herself. "I stopped wearing the cloak sometimes when the moon was full. I guess I was a little late getting to my rebellious phase.

"That winter, the wolf came back. I was too stupid to make the connection. I should have. It was so obvious. Anyway, my own idiocy aside, this time the beast had graduated into eating full grown men. I was so damn scared, Regina, but at the same time, I was also stubborn. Even though it creeped me out, I kept venturing out into the woods alone so I could escape Granny's watchful eyes and the oppressive weight of that stupid cloak. It was like I couldn't breath anymore when it was on...like it was strangling me and suffocating me all at once.

"That kind of thing went on for a couple of years. Until Snow showed up. Something about her made me brave, so I convinced to her to help me hunt down the beast that had been terrorizing the village. After a series of unfortunate misinterpretations, we both became convinced that my boyfriend, Peter, was the wolf. Later that night, I met with him..." Her voice trailed off and Regina could see tears welling up in her eyes. "I convinced him of what Snow and I knew to be true. Convinced him to let me tie him up. Promised I wouldn't leave him, that I would stay with him all night. And I did. We fell asleep together. He held me in his arms. If only I'd known it would be the last time."

Regina did not need to hear the rest to know what happened. Her heart ached for this sweet, kind, and thoughtful woman who had been deceived by her own grandmother into a most terrible mistake. "Ruby..."

"Yeah," Ruby interrupted. Choking back a sob, her mouth slacked as her chin began to tremble. "He agreed because he trusted me. God, he _loved_ me, Regina. He loved me so much, and I loved him, and I just wanted to help him. I _thought_ I was helping him. I didn't know it was me! I swear to God, I didn't!"

Reaching out her hand, Regina tried to reassure her distressed lover. "Ruby..." But Ruby shrugged off her hand and shook her head, reaching up to swipe at her tears with a sweater covered hand.

"I, uh..." She shuddered. "I woke up the next morning feeling strange and with a funny taste in my mouth, all coppery like when you bite the inside of your mouth or your lip too hard. When I sat up and looked over, Peter was gone. He was just gone. There was nothing left of him but a huge puddle of blood. I looked around, afraid the wolf had got him and might come back for me, but then I felt something stuck in my teeth. It was a strand of hair. Brown hair. Peter's hair. That's when I knew."

"Jesus Christ," Regina had exclaimed in an exhale of breath. Internally, she wondered how it must feel to wake up and discover she had literally eaten the person she loved, to taste their blood on her tongue and be left with last remnants of their body in her mouth. It must have been awful. Unable to restrain her compulsion to be in physical contact with the hurting woman she had fallen so deeply in love with, Regina reached out and took hold of Ruby's hand, dragging it off of her lap to secure it fast between both of her own hands. She was pleased when Ruby did not pull away, but rather leaned in closer as she clutched on tightly to the offer of support. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"Yeah, me, too," Ruby said forlornly, a fat tear winding a meandering path down her angled cheek. "After that, I heard a mob coming for me. I had to run for my life, leave everything behind. While we were on the run, Snow tried to be there for me, to encourage me, to keep me positive, and I loved her for it, _love_ her for it. I tried to put on a good show, but for the longest time, I hated myself."

She paused for a moment, averting her eyes in shame once more as she wound her free arm around her own waist. "Granny was all I had left in the world, but Peter had a family. An honest to God family. His parents adored him."

When Ruby drew her eyes back around, the hurt pouring out of her through her posture and expression nearly stole Regina's breath away. Added to the way she was holding herself, it had seemed as if Ruby was frightened that the careful stitching securing that once gaping wound might fly apart. Regina nearly reacted out of reflex to pull her lover into an embrace, only stopping herself because she had known Ruby was in dire need to unburden herself.

Not that she hadn't talked at other times with Snow and Granny, it was just different, cathartic, to share so unbearable a load with someone loved and trusted and who was equally committed to their life together. Ruby had carried that baggage around for far too long, actively denied herself of freedom from it for far too long, and Regina wanted to be the one to give her some well-deserved relief.

"They were such good people, Regina," Ruby then continued, "and I loved them so much. They treated me like I belonged, like I was a part of their family. When I was with them I didn't feel like the weird girl with the red cloak whose well-intentioned Granny had browbeat into being a loner. I was just Red, the girl their son loved, the girl who was going to be their daughter-in-law and give them a house full of grandkids to spoil.

"And then there was his little brother, Joshua..." At speaking that name, Ruby sighed, her vexed expression relaxing into a distant smile. As she resumed speaking, her eyes glazed over as if she were back in that time reliving what she was recounting. "He idolized Peter. Sometimes when I would visit, he would follow us around like he was Peter's second shadow, you know? Like he couldn't stand to be away from his hero.

"Most guys would have been annoyed, but Peter never complained. He made an effort to include Joshua in our fun whenever he could by letting him tag along with us to the lake to swim, or on our hikes through the forest between their family mill and Granny's house. Once we took him with us to a fair that was passing through the village. We had so much fun that day. We had so much fun in general. He was a great kid." As if watching a flower wilt, Regina observed Ruby's visage darken once more as it became overshadowed by the long reach of the past. "But I ruined it all when I murdered Peter. I killed his family's happiness along with him, and I have never forgiven myself for that. Don't think I ever can."

Because of how deep a scar that tragedy had left on Ruby's heart, it took much gentle coaxing to reassure her of something she already knew: that she was not responsible for what happened. With much love and patience, Ruby returned to her cheerful self, and despite the laden gray storm clouds that sometimes hovered over her, she moved past that old hurt. Together, they went on to build something that bridged over the rivers of anguish that were their pasts, forged a partnership that strengthened them both in those weak places that were threats to their stability.

Regina liked to think that they were in a much better place now, that Ruby was in a much better place now, but that did not change the fact that hearing Ruby's confession had pained her. It bothered her to learn just how much suffering there was in Ruby's past. She had always known the girl to be a tragic figure, but had never inquired as to the details. Even had she been the hardened version of herself, she would have thought it a travesty that such a kind and tender heart was put through such abuse. But to the version of her who loved Ruby, who slept next to her every night, who comforted her when she woke from nightmares of that very event, it produced anger to the point that should she be given the opportunity to confront them, she would very much like to rail against whatever force may exist to influence life into being so very unfair and unkind to those who least deserved it. Be it fate or destiny or a god or whatever, it had earned Regina's ire.

But at the same time, in what may seem an illogical way to feel, she knew she would not change what had happened even if such an option were to present itself. She knew that it was selfish to feel that way. Ruby bore ugly blemishes on her beautiful heart that would likely never heal, and yet those tragedies were largely responsible for shaping Ruby into the person that she became, someone Regina was immensely proud of. Not only that, they had set Ruby down the path that eventually led her to offer a kind word to a downtrodden woman who had been reeling from losing yet another lover. Regina had been living in a perpetually oppressive night when the sun that was Ruby arose in the east to cast her warm, life-restoring light into the darkness.

Other than Henry, Ruby was the best thing to ever happen to Regina, so in the interest of being informed about anything that could possibly affect her exceedingly precious paramour, the day after learning of Peter's family, she took it upon herself to learn all that she could about them. At that time, she had felt uncomfortable taking chances with someone who could present a potential threat to the woman she loved.

It had been obvious to Regina who best to approach first: Ruby's grandmother. When she had questioned Granny about Peter, the elder Lucas was initially reticent, but after Regina appealed to Granny's overprotective nature where Ruby was concerned ("Forewarned is forearmed," Regina had explained), her reluctance to speak of that dreadful time in Ruby's past.

She had then taken the information Granny provided to City Hall where census records were kept for the City of Storybrooke. There, after weeks of intermittent searching, she at last discovered the magically supplied records for the Woods family. Their names were: Douglas, Anna, Peter, Joshua, Janine, Paul, and Nora.

Douglas and Anna Woods were Peter and Joshua's parents. They were both deceased, having passed before the curse, but were registered as being interred in the local cemetery very near to her family mausoleum. It was an interesting development Regina had not expected since the family had lived on the remote edges of the kingdom, but thus was the vast power and reach of the Dark Curse. As for Joshua, she had discovered him to be married to a woman named Janine, and that they had two children together: Paul and Nora.

Not satisfied with surface knowledge, Regina had done additional research into Joshua, going as far as to visit him on false pretenses. After all, being Peter's sole surviving relative made Joshua the most likely to seek vengeance upon the person who had wronged his family, and with that in mind, she had chosen to be proactive about protecting her new lover by assessing Joshua as a threat. Upon meeting him, she had been almost immediately satisfied that he wasn't one.

In the end, her assessment of Joshua Woods concluded him to be a well-adjusted and mostly happy young man who was gainfully employed by Mr. Bunyan's lumber mill. His wife, Janine, was a well-respected 3rd grade teacher at Storybrooke Elementary. Mary Margaret in particular raved about the woman's saintly patience and kindness along with her tender devotion to her students. For all intents and purposes, the Woods family seemed to be a happy one, and as such, Regina had been convinced that Joshua had put Peter's death behind him, thus eliminating him as a potential threat to Ruby.

But now it seemed as if her conclusions had been incorrect and her decision not to act preemptively was coming back to bite her in the ass. When she had recognized Joshua, she was shocked to see a twisted version of the content young man she had once met. Gone were the kind eyes and handsome smile, having been replaced by a truly disturbing visage burning with a crazed desire for vengeance. She only recognized the look because her mirror had proudly displayed her own similar visage many, many times over the years.

As would be obvious, she was afraid for her life during the attack, but in the aftermath, all she could think about was Ruby. It took seconds after Joshua fled for Regina to make the connect that she was not the intended target of Joshua's attack, and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before he sought Ruby out again. It was that compulsive, relentless desire to warn Ruby that had given her the strength to drag her failing body into the living room where she dialed 911.

As she considered the brazen nature of the attack, some small amount of genuine curiosity made her wonder what had happened to set Joshua off. What could have sent him so thoroughly over the edge and into the deep end that he was willing to risk everything to invade her home in an ill-advised attempt to murder Ruby? Surely he must have known that the chance of success was slim to none. Trying to kill Ruby was a task most mortal men attempted at their own peril, yet Joshua had been fearless in carrying out his plans, unwavering in his execution.

But that cold control he had wielded was betrayed by his his eyes, which had shown Regina a man who was completely unhinged, a broken shell of a person who had relinquished any regard for his own life much less for Ruby's or any one else who was associated with her. Being thus disconnected with reality made him inherently unpredictable and extremely dangerous.

As much as Regina trusted that Ruby could handle herself (she was a werewolf after all), people who were as desperate as Joshua appeared to be could not be underestimated. To do so was to set oneself at an extreme disadvantage. From personal experience, she knew that the person with nothing to lose has everything to gain and can therefore afford to risk anything. Confronted with that awful conclusion, Regina realized that it was entirely possible she could lose Ruby forever to Joshua's madness.

Killing a werewolf was no easy task, but it had been done before many times in the Enchanted Forest. In fact, the entire race had been hunted into near extinction, forced into hiding in order to survive, and logic dictated that if something has been done once, it can be done again.

Abject fear threatened to overwhelm Regina. She didn't believe she could live through yet another loss, especially the loss of the mother of her unborn child. As the only person in the world who meant as much to Regina as her son, Ruby had come to share more than just her heart, but her soul as well. Unfortunately, such seemed to be the story of her life.

In suffering more than her fair share of loss, a part of Regina had died with each person who left her due to death or abandonment, a part of her soul had been crushed with each betrayal. To date no loss was more life-altering than the first. Daniel's death had forever destroyed a part of Regina that she would never fully regain: her innocent belief in love. For a while after laying her winsome stable boy to rest, it seemed that her heart had been irreparably shattered and then scattered to the four winds never to be made whole again. With her view of the world also consequently tainted, there were no restraints to keep her from plunging headlong into darkness.

As the Evil Queen, Regina had subconsciously been on the path toward becoming her mother, though unlike Cora, she did not have her lack of a heart as an excuse to justify her criminal deeds. No, she had committed every one of her atrocities with her heart in place, fully aware of what she was doing and of the suffering she was inflicting. The blackened organ had absorbed and reveled in the pain of those she considered beneath her, and pretty soon the only thing that made her feel alive anymore was killing. Regina had been called heartless many times, and while that was not true in the literal sense, it was apt nonetheless. Eventually her heart became so twisted by hate and so hardened to the depths of needless suffering she inflicted upon others that there was very little humanity left in it at all.

The healing process had only begun when she adopted Henry. His childhood innocence and unconditional love were what enabled her to regain some semblance of her past self again. But because she had been withholding an essential part of herself, she was unable to forge a whole connection with him.

In Storybrooke, she'd wrapped up her darkness in cashmere and silk and bound it up neatly with leather. She'd then stuffed it down into a little box in order to become a mayor who was a no-nonsense, ambitious hardass but a woman just the same, no different than the simpletons she looked down her nose at besides her general awareness of who she was and her clearly superior intellect. By the time Henry came around, the Evil Queen was a distant memory that had been replaced by Regina Mills the Mayor, and thereafter, Regina Mills the Mom.

Even when Emma showed up and she had realized that time was running out for her happy ending, she was careful to keep Henry in the dark about her true nature. Of course, as she was wont to do, she went entirely too far by forcing Henry to see Dr. Hopper in a misguided effort to deflect his suspicions. It hadn't worked, and in the end, only served to push her son further away from her.

In hiding that part of herself from Henry, she had only succeeded in building her family on an incomplete and unsteady foundation. There were parts of her missing from the equation when she adopted him, parts she'd purposefully neglected but which were no less real and no less pertinent to who she was a human being. Therefore when Mary Margaret gave Henry the book and he began to believe, began to realize who she really was, there was no foundation of truth between them to withstand the inevitable fallout. That everything crumbled to pieces was simply a matter of course.

It was only after her willingness to sacrifice herself for the good of the town in the mines that her relationship with her son began to improve again, but it had also served as a sort of soft reset on her progress in putting the past behind her for good. Things got better, Henry started to trust her again – Regina started to trust herself again. For a while she deluded herself with the belief that the worst was behind her.

And then came Robin Hood, so good and trusting and believing in her, believing in what they were destined to have together. After Daniel's death, Regina had sworn off the part of herself that was capable of loving another person romantically, but Robin had reignited that particular flame. She was just starting to truly open her heart to him when Emma brought faux-Marian – who turned out to be Zelena – back from the past. Not long after, Robin and Roland left town.

After that blow, Regina had been genuinely frightened that she might break again. It wasn't news to her that many shared those fears, as she had known for a long time that most of the town had long lived in apprehension of that day. But she hadn't relapsed, even for a moment. Her relief at that was palpable. She had finally grown strong enough as a person to refrain from resorting to baser instincts when she got hurt, and it felt so damn reaffirming. Yet she had also come to recognize her resilience was only part of what kept her from spiraling into the ever-welcoming darkness that always stood waiting for her return. For when looking deep within her own heart, she was confronted by a hard truth that her newly acquired ability to resist temptation to backslide was also influenced by her lack of wholehearted commitment to Robin.

It was a truth that echoed back to her relationship with her son. Whereas with Henry, she had hidden the part of herself that was the damaged, vengeful, and angry Evil Queen, with Robin, she had withheld the innocent, loving person she kept locked away with Daniel's memory inside the deepest, most secret recesses of her heart.

It was different with Ruby, though. Ruby's unconditional love began the process of stitching those disjointed pieces of Regina's disparate personas back together. With Ruby she felt it was okay to be herself without fearing Ruby would leave or at the least reprimand her tendency to act domineering at times, bitchy at others, and be her sassy self in general. Even when her friends would often grow exasperated at her behavior, Ruby remained patient and supportive; hell, sometimes she even indulged Regina's badness (which Regina later learned could be a turn on for her hotblooded girlfriend).

The biggest shock, though had been that Ruby managed to reach that previously reserved part of herself, the one she had never shared with anyone because it belonged to Daniel and to him alone. Having long kept that part of herself chained behind impenetrable iron walls, her expectation was that if anyone were ever to finally breach them, it would have to have been in epic fashion. Only it didn't happen that way at all. Ruby sneaked up on her.

Their relationship had begun rather innocuously as friends, two lonely souls who seemed destined to always be on the outside looking in, that just-so-happened to find solace in one another. But as time wore on and they spent more and more time together, Regina had felt the inevitable building of something more, something deeper and she knew that Ruby had felt it too.

Adept at reading people as she was, she could see Ruby's affections plainly written in her pretty green eyes. However, as wounded by life as they both had been and out of a fear that they might be risking something that was already precious, Regina had not expected either of them to work up the courage to pursue a relationship beyond friendship. But as it turned out, Ruby Lucas was a woman far braver than Regina had dared to imagine.

One Thursday morning as Regina had been seated in her normal booth in the diner, waiting for Ruby to join her for their routine conversation. Only things did not happen as usual, for when Ruby sat down across from her, she completely out of the blue and rather bluntly asked Regina out on a date. Due to her inherently suspicious nature, Regina had been about to decline the offer, but the look on Ruby's face after she had finished speaking staid the words.

Ordinarily an outwardly confident woman, Ruby had appeared so peculiarly bashful that all of Regina's fears and objections melted away. It was impossible for her to muster up the skepticism necessary to believe that a woman as pure of intent as Ruby could have ulterior motives. It was evident that the offer had come from the heart, and Regina was so touched that she found herself accepting before her brain could properly catch up to the heat of the moment. She then watched with rapt attention as Ruby's entire face lit up with so profound a joy that the already astoundingly attractive woman began to radiate an almost suffocating beauty. Needless to say, Regina had left the diner in high spirits that morning, her brain thoroughly overruled.

When Ruby had picked her up the next night for their date, she was wearing a strapless burgundy dress which set Regina's pulse to racing with the way it accentuated her flawless figure in all the right ways and places. It was the first time that she was given the pleasure of witnessing firsthand the remarkable sensuality Ruby possessed. The way it exuded from her every pore and was in every sidelong glance, smile, and breathy laugh had taken her completely by surprise. Even Ruby's voice was a siren call that had beckoned to some primal part of Regina's psyche that was clamoring to eschew all propriety and just take Ruby against the front door of her house. In that very instant, Regina knew she was in trouble. Out of instinct, she scrambled to assemble her defenses, but was instantly disarmed by another one of those irresistibly hopeful yet bashful smiles that only Ruby seemed capable of delivering to such effect.

After the incredibly successful date was over, Regina had come back home bothered by how quickly and intensely her attraction for Ruby manifested. That night, as she sat on her bed in order to analyze her reaction, she thought back to her interactions with the younger woman through the years. In the interest of being objective, she could admit that she had always been aware of Ruby's physical attributes. After all, it would be hard not to with the way the girl had dressed during the curse, flaunting her remarkable assets for all of Storybrooke to appreciate (not that Regina was complaining, since she had appreciated said assets herself on more than one occasion). As such, she had to grudgingly concede that perhaps that particularly provocative aspect of Red's cursed self was not as random as she had once believe, that it might very well have stemmed from Regina's own attraction to Red.

Even as the Evil Queen, she had silently acknowledged that the girl known to the realm as Red Riding Hood was easily the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. In fact, there had been a time during her pursuit of Snow when Regina entertained fantasies about kidnapping her mortal enemy's werewolf bestie, after which she would break the girl to serve her.

That flight of fancy had begun on an occasion when she had cornered Snow entering a mountain pass in the northern part of the kingdom, which had delighted her beyond measure. Without delay, she had assigned a squadron of soldiers to the entryway of the pass and then magicked 50 additional soldiers from her very best regiment to the other side of the mountain to block her prey in. The effort of such an en masse transportation had left her drained and relatively weak, but there had been absolutely no way that she was going to pass up the opportunity that had been presented to her. She had sworn she was not going to allow Snow White to escape that pass alive.

So sure was she of victory that as she had lagged a ways behind her soldiers while they slogged up the hazardously narrow path to intercept Snow, Regina began to preemptively envisioning the plethora of creative ways in which she could dispose her arch nemesis. She hadn't known it at the time but she had been in for the surprise of her life.

Upon catching up to the regiment, instead of finding a captive Snow White along with the corpses of whatever dead compatriots were unlucky enough to have accompanied the outlaw princess, she had instead discovered that her troops were being thoroughly routed. Being that they were the most skilled soldiers she had at her disposal, Regina was shocked. However, that shock promptly turned into awe when she noticed that most of the dead knights lay strewn grotesquely at the humongous paws of the most magnificent wolf she had ever laid eyes upon.

Enraptured, she watched as the massive creature with midnight fur and huge glowing yellow eyes tore apart what remained of her men one by one. Snow had been behind the wolf, cutting down soldiers with deadly precision one arrow at a time, but it had been evident to anyone with eyes that the lion's share of the damage was done by the gorgeous werewolf whose ebony fur was now stained crimson with blood.

After the wolf had dispatched the last of its enemies, it had stood there with its baleful yellow eyes fixated on Regina. The complete lack of fear in the creature was mixed with a malice that sent a chill through Regina's already cold body. But she had also sensed a curious attraction hidden underneath all of that contempt, and it called out to her. The wolf, it had seemed, was as subconsciously drawn to her as she was to it. Unable to move or breathe, she felt as if she had been put under a spell by the beast.

And then Snow had opened her accursed trap and broken the magical connection. Well, not quite what you anticipated would happen, was it Regina?" she had gloated with haughty disdain.

"Not quite," Regina had retorted, eyes still fixed on the black wolf that now sat protectively at Snow's side. "But you had a secret weapon that I was unaware of. Now that I have been so rudely enlightened, believe me when I say that I won't make the same mistake twice."

Regina had then audibly gasped as she watched the creature transform. Where once there was a majestic and awesomely powerful wolf, there now stood a statuesque specimen of womanhood that had simply taken her breath away. Lush, dark hair which tumbled in curls down the girl's back and shoulders framed a strikingly beautiful face which was flushed a tantalizing red from her exertions. The young woman was so becoming that Regina had thought she must have been carved by the hands of the gods themselves. Ironically, such intense attraction had left her feeling the altogether alien sensations of being bewitched.

"Yes, please, send some more fodder for my wolf to dispatch," Snow's alluringly mysterious protector had then replied, her voice as sweet as warm honey to Regina's ears...and insides it seemed. Her gut stirred pleasantly. Still partially under the effects of the transformation, the girl's eyes had still been glowing an ethereal yellow as her full lips turned up in a self-satisfied smirk. As if being tugged by an invisible thread, the werewolf had moved closer and closer to Regina as she spoke. "She likes to play with the toys you send her. This lot was the best yet, but still not quite up to snuff as you can see."

Regina had been unable to help herself. She laughed a full, throaty laugh, absolutely delighted by the gall and boldness of the very special girl standing next to her mortal enemy.

"Oh, my dear, if you think that's the best I've got, you're sorely mistaken," she shot back. While she possessed the power to obliterate the painfully young and naive women before her, she lacked the energy to summon it, which was not to mention the fact that the girl had slaughtered her best men. Impressed as she had been by Snow's werewolf companion, she was unwilling to show any form of weakness, and thus the half-lie. Eyeing the girl with barely restrained lust, she then smiled wickedly. "But I am so very pleased you enjoyed my presents. Perhaps in the near future I'll have to work up something _extra_ _special_...just for you."

Flashing Regina an almost playful grin, the dark haired beauty chuckled in amusement even as a radiant blush colored her face which then spread down the swath of pale flesh from her neck to the portion of her chest left exposed by her garments. The clear hints of arousal thrilled Regina. But of course, it also hadn't escaped her notice that Snow was watching the exchange in consternation, which only served to fuel Regina's escalating excitement.

"I'll be eagerly awaiting whatever you come up with, your Majesty," the werewolf had then replied, having drifted to stand only a handful of paces away. She came close enough that Regina could make out the brilliant green shade of her eyes when untouched by the wolf, and was at last able to fully appreciate her almost unnatural beauty.

It was almost disgusting how beautiful the girl was. It was not often Regina was confronted by a woman whose beauty could even marginally rival her own, but in the person of this otherworldly werewolf, she was sure she had finally met someone who equaled if not outright surpassed her. If it were not for the fact that she was so utterly enamored of the girl, she would have been positively green with envy.

Eyeing the girl with unveiled interest, Regina hummed with anticipation. "I'll just bet you will." The girl gave her a beaming smile revealing perfect rows of pearly white teeth. Regina was stricken by the way her heart began to race. With so tempting a prize almost within reach, she could barely restrain herself from using up her limited reserves of energy in order to snatch the girl up and transport them both to her castle. Not wanting to give in to such a frivolous and dangerous impulse, she settled instead for drawing out more information. "What's your name, girl?"

"Red," the young werewolf boldly declared. "My name is Red." The name falling from those alluring lips was almost tangible, feeling like sweetly scented rose petals falling onto Regina's sensitive flesh. She shuddered involuntarily, and though the reaction was subtle enough to be hidden from Snow, the girl, Red, did not miss it. Taking a step forward, her smoldering green eyes dilated. Regina could not hold back a gasp.

At that point, Snow had stepped between the werewolf and Regina, stopping Red's progress and partially blocking Regina's view of the object of her interest; although, as short as Snow was, the woman's face remained visible. There had been a strange mixture of emotions working their way through Red's pretty features when her companion interfered: pride, then affection, and then settling into an uneasy aggravation. It was the aggravation that Regina latched onto. The beguiling shape-shifter had been enjoying their repartee as much as she had, but as it was with every other aspect of her life, Snow had to ruin it.

"That's quite enough," the insufferable brat then interjected. "I'll thank you to leave her out of this, Regina. This is between you and me, so let's keep it that way."

Regina had scoffed at the implied, though non-intimidating threat. Rolling her eyes, she snarled. "Even if I were to ignore the rather impressive fact that she effortlessly destroyed so many of my men, you are my enemy, Snow. Therefore, those who commiserate with my enemy are my enemies also, a fact of which I'm sure _Red_ here is well aware."

When she had spoken the werewolf's name, Regina had been secretly delighted to see the girl shiver even more noticeably than she had. Another flush worked its way up her cheeks as well, coloring them the same lovely shade as her moniker. Fascinated as she was, Regina had almost continued her exchange with Red in spite of Snow, but then Snow nocked a bolt into her bow and aimed it straight at Regina's heart.

"Then let's just end it right now," she had said and then fired the bolt with deadly accuracy.

Out of pure instinct, Regina had instinctively teleported herself and Rocinante several miles away from the pass where she spent the next several minutes cursing Snow White to the depths of hell for interrupting her fun. The subsequent ride back to the castle had been one consumed with thoughts of a dark headed beauty named Red who stood with Snow White and fought like a hellbeast when in her fur.

That long, lonely ride home was when she first began entertaining the idea of apprehending Red. She was intrigued by the challenge of turning the girl to her side, just knowing it would have been exquisite, as would have been the personal pleasure she would derived from bringing out the werewolf's true potential in every way. Red was a deadly foe at Snow's side, but Regina knew that under her attentive hand, she could be molded into a woman of incomparable power.

There were times in the days after that encounter when Regina had lain in bed, imagining what it would be like and how it would feel for her to see the stunning werewolf standing as proudly by her side as she did Snow's. In those fanciful imaginings, Red was always the picture of perfection, positively radiating power and confidence, with her perfect body clad in skin tight black leather. Decorated with intricate braids, which were themselves adorned with precious garnets and rubies, her dark hair was straightened so that it reached beyond her slim waist. And of course, since appearance was as vital as decorum in court, her mascara would be expertly applied to accentuate those piercing green eyes and her enticing lips would be stained sinfully red.

Attracted to Red as she already was, such thoughts prompted unbidden fantasies. One night Regina had actually permitted herself to imagine what it would be like to take the werewolf into her bed. The very thought had made her entire body hum with the hypothetical anticipation of peeling the clothes off of Red's body, revealing the delightfully pale flesh underneath. She could almost taste those sumptuous lips and almost feel of the exquisite sensation of bare skin under her fingertips. At the time, she had wanted so very much to know just how smooth and soft that skin was even though it blanketed inhumanly powerful muscles. She wondered how it would feel to indulge herself by exploring every inch of Red's body with her fingers and lips and tongue until the girl came undone, and then by allowing Red to return the favor.

As the images crossed through her mind, she became alarmed by how painfully aroused she was, realizing that she was more attracted to Red than she was willing to accept or even admit. The girl was simply magnetic in a way that could not be underestimated, and Regina was convinced that if Red ever really decided to try, she could have reduced anyone she desired to eating out of her hand, even Snow.

It honestly befuddled Regina how Snow could sleep so near Red each night without experiencing an unbearable compulsion to ravish her. But then again, Snow really was a simple girl with painfully pedestrian desires. As a progressive woman, Regina was not so confined by social mores, so no such barriers existed to prevent her from succumbing to her carnal attraction to Red. And yet when she really considered what it would be like to have Red around her all the time, surrounding her constantly with the heady presence that had almost cost her life on the mountain, she had become greatly concerned that she might lose herself to the passions that would erupt between them.

Because of that, she soon abandoned all thought to capture Red, instead choosing to focus all her energies on Snow's capture. While Regina had acknowledged and accepted she had been attracted to the brunette werewolf, at the time, she hadn't been willing to let anything sidetrack her from that ultimate objective. She reinforced her resolve by reminding herself she'd only wanted Red because of the pain it would cause Snow, and such thoughts had been sufficient enough for the Queen to put thoughts of the werewolf mostly out of her mind – or at least so she thought.

But as Regina had gotten to truly know Red in the form of Ruby, she had to consider that may not have been the case. It had been frighteningly easy for Ruby to get past her walls. In fact, it had been as if she had merely waltzed around them pretty as you please and with minimal effort. As a result, Regina had been forced to reevaluate her subconscious motives for desiring Ruby beyond the obvious physical attraction. That process had been an uncomfortable experience considering how emotionally reserved and stunted she could be.

But at the end of that long, drawn out contemplation, she had been forced to acknowledge that her intense attraction to Red, which had nothing at all to do with Snow, had been what inevitably staid her tentative machinations. Of course, she had been so consumed by revenge that she had been unaware of that fact, but it remained true nonetheless. She realized that had she followed through on her desires for Red back in the Enchanted Forest, there would have been no stopping the intriguing werewolf from derailing her plans. Furthermore, she became convinced that if she had taken Red into her bed...well, the girl would have gone on to claim far more of her than she had been willing to give.

Regina was left with one startling conclusion: falling in love with Ruby had been a foregone conclusion, an inevitability that she would be a fool to deny. However much she had once believed that her future lay with her soul mate, Robin, she knew deep within her heart that things would have always turned out as they did. Ruby had a key to her heart that no one else possessed, and it would only have been a matter of time before she used it.

Needless to say, that self-discovery had been astounding, but there was a deeper truth yet to be revealed. When they started dating, as per usual, Regina had tried to maintain at least some distance, holding herself back as she was want to do. She approached their dates as if they were friends who were just enjoying each others company on a more personal level and for a while, that worked to maintain a comfortable distance. But with every touch and every flutter of thick lashes, with every adoring gaze from gorgeous green eyes and with every warm embrace, Ruby was working her way into Regina's heart and Regina was powerless to stop her.

It all came to a head one morning after a particularly enjoyable date. When Regina had awakened her heart was pounding in her ribcage like it wanted to leap out of her breast and was full to bursting with only one thought: she loved Ruby. In an instant, realization came, and though was not accompanied by a bolt of lightning or clap or thunder or light bulb being switched on over her head, it was life-changing just the same. She had fallen in love with Ruby Lucas, and not in the way she had with Robin. This feeling was different, alien but not at all unwelcome. It was true and mad and deep and whole in ways she had never imagined she could love someone.

The revelation that slammed into her that morning was like a comet crashing to earth, which upon impact had proceeded to uproot every perception she had about herself and her ability to love. It then tossing them all into the stratosphere like so much dust. And yet the why had continued to eat at her until she really thought things through.

In analyzing the situation, enlightenment finally came. She first considered that the Evil Queen she once was had been enamored of the unsullied beauty and mysterious darkness of Red Riding Hood. Red appealed to everything the Queen most valued and desired: power, beauty, and freedom. But it was different for Regina Mills, mayor and mom. That woman loved Ruby Lucas. She loved the strong, innocent, loyal young woman who was so full of life and love despite all she had endured. She loved the woman whose patient and steadfast support had seen her friends through trials they couldn't have endured without her. She loved the woman who looked at her like she was the single most amazing person to have ever walked the earth.

This was important because Regina was a complex, multifaceted being. She hadn't come to realize until she fell in love with Ruby that she needed someone just as complex as she was to stand on equal terms with her. After all, she was not just that young innocent woman full of love, compassion, and hope, who had been tainted by her mother's darkness, but she was also the Evil Queen who desired power, freedom, and revenge above all else. The Queen was a woman driven by her baser desires who would go to any length and destroy anyone or anything who dared to stand of her getting what she wanted. And yet, she was also Regina Mills, a woman who was an uncomfortable conglomeration of the two who was at long last learning how to simply be herself.

Before Ruby, Regina had yet to love anyone with all of the parts that made her who she was deep down inside. Her purest self had loved Daniel and that was the part of her that loving Henry had awakened. The Evil Queen part of Regina had loved nothing but what she could gain to please her unrestrained appetites. The part of her that was Regina Mills had loved Robin Hood, but in the hesitant way only an incomplete person does. Ruby, on the other hand, was loved by all three.

That alone is what made Ruby different and so very, very dangerous. Surviving the loss of her previous loves was only possible because she always held back a part of herself from them. With Daniel, she had shielded him from her darkness, concealing that part of herself that had been so cruelly fashioned by her heartless mother. As the Queen, she had denied herself anything that interfered with her ultimate goal of vengeance (and incidentally, in so doing, denied herself the only person in Red who could have truly satisfied that part of herself). Finally, as Regina Mills, she had held back her innocence from Robin, which was the part of her that was capable of unfettered love. Yet, none of that was the case with Ruby. No, Ruby had all of her, every aspect of her person in body, mind, heart, and soul.

In the light of what had just transpired, that revelation was absolutely terrifying. The truth was, Regina was afraid that if Joshua were to kill Ruby, there would be nothing remaining of her to salvage. Sure, she would probably survive it, move on past it eventually, but she would never be whole again, never be truly happy as she now was.

And even though she was confident her rehabilitation could withstand so devastating a blow, there was a chance – though small it was – that Ruby's death would well and truly break her. Having been broken once before, it was no so far fetched that it may happen again, and considering the circumstances, a present meltdown would be far worse.

When Daniel had died, they were still freshly in love, two young idealists whose dreams were carrying them forward. Losing him had meant losing that dream – her hopes for a better future had been irrevocably shattered. But there were no dreams with Ruby. Ruby was reality, had been for three years now. No one had ever known her _and_ loved her the way Ruby did, not even Daniel. What they shared had transcended beyond such mundane labels as friend, lover, and partner, for Ruby was a part of Regina now just as Regina was Ruby. Mutually integral and intrinsic to one another, the consequences of that connection being so callously severed were unthinkable.

If the worst did happen, and Ruby's death were indeed to break her, Regina knew the destruction would be catastrophic. Like a star collapsing in on itself to form a black hole, her heart and soul would be utterly annihilated under the inescapable gravity of her rage and sorrow. In nature, such a void produced darkness that even the purest light could not hope to escape. But she wondered what kind of effect it would have on a person?

God forbid if that were to happen, she thought, because was truly afraid that in her agony, she would lash out blindly. Destruction the likes of which had rarely been seen would follow, for although she had wrought terrible deeds upon the Enchanted Forest, those would pale in comparison to the insanity that would follow the death of the sole person who completed every facet of her being. Rumplestiltskin had been a monster, as were his predecessors. Cora was a monster as well, and in following her mother's example, Regina herself had become one as the Evil Queen. Robbed of Ruby, though, she would devolve into a creature of evil for which there was no appropriate designation.

But that was something she could not afford to think about, not when Ruby was out there somewhere, probably alone and in pain and needing her more than ever before. So rather than dwell on what _might_ happen, she instead focused on how blessed she was. For despite all of the heartbreak she had both endured and doled out in her lifetime, she had been given a True Love she did not deserve, a son she adored, and as an added bonus, there was a brand new life growing within her womb that she already loved with all of her heart.

"Please, Ruby, come back," she whispered to her empty hospital room, knowing her pleas were likely going unheard. Resting her protectively atop her stomach, Regina closed her eyes. "My happy ending is not complete without you in it. I love Henry and our baby, but I need you here, and so do they. We need your unending strength, your corny jokes, and your wonderful smile to see us through this sorrow life." Biting her lip, Regina felt her first tears slip free and she let them. "I don't want to do this without you. Please, Ruby, please don't make me."

If there were any powers capable of granting her wishes, Regina would have besought them. But she did not believe in such things, and if they did exist, they were too cruel for her to trust with so precious a commodity as her family. It fell then, as always, to her – and to Ruby as well – to make her own destiny. What it wound up being, Regina could not say. As long as Ruby was in it, as long Henry continued to grow and prosper, and as long as her baby was healthy, she didn't frankly care.

None of those things, however, were guaranteed. Nothing was. So all Regina could do was hope – hope and promise herself that should much more time pass without word from Ruby, she would take matters into her own hands and do what was necessary. No matter the risk, she would take it if it meant seeing Ruby safely back home.


	13. Sisters

**Notes** : This chapter is a bit of filler, but I wanted to include Zelena in my story because I like her. Bex is just precious. Ham it up, girl! Anyway, back to Regina next chapter. Unless I'm persuaded otherwise, we will see Ruby again late next week.

To Rebel Maineiac: We will find out what happened to Ruby soon enough, and in those chapters, I will address why Joshua flipped. A hint is that it has something to do with his/Peter's family. As for what Regina will do when she finds Ruby, well, all I can say is that she will lose her...stuff. Thanks for the review!

To all you other folks out that there are reading, thank you all as well. As always, I 3 you all! See ya soon!

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 12** – Sisters

Zelena barged in through the doors of the hospital with a scowl on her face. As she stomped her way through the lobby, her posture daring anyone to try and detain her, she was positively furious. Just minutes before, she had learned that her sister had been assaulted and that it happened hours ago. Zelena was beyond incensed that no one had bothered to call her seeing as she should have been notified. She was, after all, the only blood relative Regina had left.

But at the same time, she was not at all surprised she had not been contacted. While she had a fair few friends in common with her sister, Regina was also beloved by a specific group of individuals whose opinion on Zelena was less than kind. She figured the Charming clan – chief among her detractors – was likely responsible for her ignorance of her sister's dilemma. It had been years since she'd used their son for her 'unholy' ritual, but they had yet to forgive her. Go figure. She scoffed derisively at the thought. Bloody hypocrites. They ought to have a chat with Maleficent about forgiveness for such things.

After reaming out the nurse at the desk who refused to give her directions to Regina's room simply because her husband had once been turned into a flying monkey, Zelena was finally directed back to the waiting room by a passing by Victor Whale. Dr. Whale was one of few individuals who had fully accepted Zelena as a member of the community, so she had mercy by foregoing the pleasure of directing her ire at him.

When she got a good look at Victor, though, the state that he was in shocked her. With his hair sticking up at odd angles, his face wan with exhaustion, and his eyes bleary and red, he looked like a man who had fought a war with the Wheelers and barely come out the other side with his life.

"They're right in here," Victor said upon their arrival outside of a waiting room door.

Looking in through the small window in the door, she saw Emma Swan and her not-so-charming father talking with Snow White, Granny Lucas, Belle Gold, and Kathryn Nolan. Maleficent, Ursula, Mombi, and Xayide – some of the aforementioned friends Regina and Zelena had in common – were conspicuously absent. Zelena didn't have to wonder why.

"I'm not here to see that lot," she said, turning back to Victor. "I came here for my sister. Take me to her. _Now._ "

Victor shook his head in the negative. "Sorry, can't do that. Henry is with her right now, so you'll have to wait a bit. I want her to wake up before she can have more visitors."

Zelena sighed dramatically. "Damn. I'm not particularly looking forward to spending my time loitering around those sanctimonious blow-hard do-gooders."

"Don't be so melodramatic. It's not all that bad," Victor chuckled. "At least Emma is there. She kind of likes you, I think..."

"Very helpful, Frankie," Zelena glared playfully. She really did like Victor. He was a character worth getting to know beyond the cold, scientific exterior he wore as as a shell. Much like a turtle, he was all soft and gooey on the inside, it just took a lot of work to get to those parts.

"I'm always glad to be of service, Greenie," Victor retorted, wearing a pleased expression.

Rolling her eyes, Zelena straightened up, her hands going immediately to her waist as she cocked a hip to the side. "Well, since you're feeling so very helpful, can you at least tell me how Regina's doing?"

Victor nodded. "That I can do. She's doing very well, actually. It could have been much worse if I hadn't had a certain consultant available to help out." Zelena noticed at the mention of this consultant, Victor grew a bit nervous. Her eyes narrowed. "And before you get mad, I had both Henry and Ruby's full approval."

Zelena didn't need for him to name the person to know who it was. Sneering, she stepped closer to Victor. "You didn't..."

The former mad scientist held up his hands, hoping to forestall an angry tirade from a still occasionally wicked witch. "Sorry. I know you hate him, but there were extenuating circumstances. He had knowledge no one else does."

Zelena glowered. "I don't care about that and neither should you!" She poked her finger sharply into Victor's chest three times, causing him to back up, eyes widened more and more with each stab of her long fingernail. "He's not to be trusted. Especially with Regina's life! You should have known better, Victor."

His hands still raised in a mollifying manner, Victor replied, "I'm aware of their complicated past, and yours, but I really think it's time to let it go."

The sing-song way he said that last little bit made Zelena cringe backward. "Oh, dear God," she grimaced, "don't even go quoting those horrid movies again. It astounds me that people actually think Elsa and Anna are so wonderful." The grimace deepened. "Well, they bloody well aren't! Annoying brat, that Anna is. If would could rig her mouth up to produce electricity when she talks, the world would not want for energy. And as for Elsa..." She scoffed. "Don't even get me started about the ice princess. She could use a good shagging to loosen her up, that one."

Now no longer in defensive mode due to her little melodramatic outburst, Victor grinned widely. "Conceal, don't feel, Z."

Growling, Zelena took a step forward. "You best watch it, Victor Whale, or I'll wipe that smug little smirk off your face."

"Hey," he replied, chuckling as he stepped back, "don't blame me for the poor taste of the masses. I am just your local, humble purveyor of pop culture wisdom." At that Zelena glared at the prat of a doctor, thinking to herself how she really ought to just throttle him...or turn him into a toad. But she didn't. Victor was too necessary to the Regina and to the town in general. Otherwise, though… "You should be thanking me, anyways," he then said. "Rumple actually did good in there. He was able to fix something I couldn't in addition to mending most of the damage done by the knife."

"Well, isn't that just swell," Zelena drawled, at least slightly less annoyed at Victor. He was, after all, very skilled at his job and been instrumental from what she could glean in saving Regina's life. Still, that gratitude in now way extended to Rumplestiltskin. "Perhaps we ought to give the old codger a medal for his service, eh? And then..." Pausing, she widened her eyes for effect, "And then we can immortalize him with a bronze statue in the Square and then dedicate it with grandiose speeches detailing his heroics! Bloody hell, we may as well give him a key to the bloody city while we're at it!

"After all, it's not like he's done anything nefarious. Sure, there was thievery of true love here, a damning of a soul for all eternity there, as well as a few disgustingly self-serving deals in between, but those are minor infractions, am I right? And who can forget the way he warped an impressionable young girl who just wanted to be loved into something she never wanted to be and then cast away yet another as so much trash. With that in mind, I'd say the chap is a regular knight in shining armor!"

Sighing, Victor reached out a hand and placed it on Zelena's shoulder. At her piercing glare, he immediately removed it, apologizing with his eyes. "You have every right to hate him. I'm not saying that you don't. But I'm telling you, I didn't have a choice," he explained. "I can't really go into to detail, but you have to know I wouldn't have called him in unless there were no other alternatives."

"Couldn't our esteemed Savior have helped?" Zelena asked, still dubious.

Victor shook his head, "No. Not with something this subtle. Emma is more of a sledge hammer. I needed a scalpel." When Zelena gave him a pointed look demanding elaboration he sighed once more. "Look, you know I can't discuss this with you right now. Doctor patient privilege and all that. I'm sure Regina will tell you more when you talk to her. Okay?"

Taking a deep breath, Zelena rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. But only because I know you wouldn't dare lie to me." She hoped the threat in her eyes was clear enough. It was.

"Yeah..." he replied, clearly remembering the time he had lied to her about the name of his 'friend' he'd set her up on a date with. When Walsh showed up, Zelena nearly had a conniption, but managed to school her features until the date was over. That she'd actually relaxed enough to enjoy the date as it progressed was inconsequential to satiating her anger. The next day, she hunted Victor down and proceeded to threaten him with colorful language that would have make Captain Kohl proud, then punctuated the diatribe with a promise of creative retaliation should he deceive her in such a way again.

"Anyway," he then said, shaking off the memory with a shudder, "I need to do my rounds so I can get back to Regina within the hour."

The excuse was reasonable, so Zelena decided not to harass him any further. "Ta-ta, then," she replied, smirking. He returned the expression in kind, ever defiant. She liked that about him. "But before you go, I want to say thank you," she then added, allowing a hint of true gratitude to show through. "Even though you are an incorrigible scoundrel, you saved my sister's life."

"You are most welcome," he winked and then mock bowed. "It was my immense pleasure to be of service to the Mills women." In response, Zelena stuck her tongue at him which only provoked Victor's playfulness. Gesturing toward the waiting room, he cut a teasing grin toward her as he backed away and then turned down the hall, calling back over his shoulder, "Just keep it homo sapiens in there, please. SGH is a simian free area!"

Zelena had to laugh at that. Victor Whale. Quite a character, indeed. Trying to carry her improved mood into the waiting room, she pushed through the door, only to be greeted by the scowling faces of David, Snow, and Belle. She ignored them pointedly, used to their disapproval. Instead, she noted that she was not wholly unwelcome judging by Emma's more neutral expression Kathryn and Granny's moderately friendly ones.

"Who called you?" Snow White aka Mary Margaret aka self-righteous brat said with an unbecoming sneer.

"I did," Granny Lucas spoke up from where she sat darning something or another that was likely to be of zero interest to Zelena. How the woman could stand to do such a tediously boring task for hours on end frankly amazed her.

"Granny!" Snow gaped as if betrayed in some way, causing Zelena to smirk internally. Well, mostly internally judging by the hateful way Snow glared at her when she returned her focus to Zelena.

At Snow's protest, Granny simply shrugged as if not caring a whit. "She's Regina's sister," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "She deserves to be here as much, if not more, than any of us."

"I'd thank you, Granny, but then I'd think I'd sully your reputation," Zelena replied, and then crossed the room to sit next to the old woman whose feistiness she had come to respect. Among all those hero-type fools, Granny was one of the only people she could stand to be around, her sister's partner excepted of course.

"Bah," Granny scoffed, waving a hand dismissively at her, "I'm far too old to care about that."

"Quite so! I commend your focus on what's important in life at your stage of the game," Zelena replied, noting that Granny quirked a semi-amused eyebrow at her joking reference to her age. "Namely, not giving a damn what anyone thinks."

Nodding decisively, Granny smirked. "Got that right. Best part of being an old woman is that I can say whatever I want and blame it on my age-addled brain."

Laughing, Zelena playfully swatted Granny's forearm, enjoying their banter. "Oh, you wicked old hag, that is just delightful!"

"Ain't it though," Granny grinned, showing her dimples, but then she grew stern. "But watch your tongue, girl, or I might be inclined to remind everyone here about that time I caught you and Ruby singing songs from that Broadway show. I never told either of you, but I lied when I said I had just walked up. Truthfully, I heard the whole thing. If I hadn't been so busy laughing I might have been impressed. You two should start up an act!"

Looking scandalized, Zelena gaped. "You didn't and you wouldn't."

"Oh, but I did and I would," Granny replied with a sideways grin, her eyes twinkling. Leaning closer, she stage whispered in a sing-song manner,

" _Once I'm with the Wizard,_ _my_ _whole life will change. 'Cause once you're with the Wizard_ _n_ _o one thinks you're strange! No father is not proud of you,_ _n_ _o sister acts ashamed,_ _a_ _nd all of Oz has to love you_ _w_ _hen by the Wizard you're acclaimed!_ "

Embarrassment flooded Zelena, and as she covered her face with her hands she felt herself blush to the roots of her hair. She then moaned dramatically upon hearing Emma Swan's delighted laugh, which was joined in chorus by Kathryn who was bent over clutching at her sides as she hee-hawed.

"I would have paid good money to see that!" Blondie said, still suffused with so much glee that Zelena knew she would be hearing about this indiscretion for years to come.

"So would I," Kathryn added, her chortling having been reduced to feminine giggles. "I think I'd be willing to drive for hours to see _that_ kind of show." Zelena glared at her friend, causing Kathryn to giggle even more.

"Oh, that's good, Kath! I can see it now," Emma grinned, waving her hands through the air as if summoning a magical billboard. "Coming to a theater near you: _Wicked_ , starring Red Riding Hood and…the real life Wicked Witch. Once you go Green, you never go Queen!"

"Oh, my God, it's so good! We _have_ to make this happen now!" Kathryn cackled, dissolving into another fit of laughter.

Zelena groaned, turning lamenting eyes up at the elder in the room. The sounds of Kathryn and Emma's mutual mirth reverberated in her ears. She was never going to live this down. Ever. "Why, Granny?" she complained. "Why have you thus betrayed me to my tormentors? I thought we had an understanding, you and I?!"

Granny smirked. "We do, but like I told ya: you gotta watch that tongue of yours."

Harrumphing, Zelena shot daggers back at Granny. "Perhaps you ought to save that particular chastisement for Ruby, eh? Seems more apt." Though Granny narrowed her eyes at the double entendre, she did not respond.

At the mention of Ruby's name, Emma and Kathryn lost much of their good humor, as did Granny, whose expression turned almost sour.

"Speaking of Ruby. Where is she?" Zelena asked, finally recognizing that her sister's longtime partner was strangely unaccounted for. "Shouldn't she be here with Regina in such a bad way?"

"She's out looking for the man who stabbed my mom," answered an unexpected voice from the door. Zelena instantly recognized who it belonged to. She looked up to see her nephew standing in the doorway, a half-frown on his face.

"Henry!" Emma exclaimed upon seeing her son, and then rushed over to him to give him a tight hug which he returned. After pulling away, she brushed his bangs from his hair in a motherly gesture. Being the relatively well-mannered 17 year old boy he was, he looked uncomfortable at the petting but did not complain. "How's your Mom?"

"Finally awake," he said, the displeased expression he'd been wearing morphing into something handsome and hopeful that went a long way toward easing the tight coil of Zelena's gut. It was the first true relief of her worries since learning of Regina's predicament. "She's in some pain and worried about Ruby, but otherwise okay."

Scooting up in her chair, Zelena leaned toward Henry. "You say she's in pain?" she probed.

"A little," he nodded, "but it's nothing to be worried about Aunt Z. Doctor Whale and my Grandpa did their jobs."

"That may be," she replied, standing from her seat, "but all the same, I'd like to see for myself."

"And she'll want to see you, too," he said, but then turned to his birth mother. "But first I need to know if you've seen or heard from Ruby since I last talked to you. Mom is worried sick. She won't rest until Ruby is back."

Hanging her head a bit, Emma shuffled her feet. "I'm sorry, kid. We haven't. I wish we could have found her, but like I said over the phone, she covered her tracks too well."

"Meaning?" Zelena chimed in curiously, feeling like she was missing a vital piece of information.

From the sound of it there was reason to be concerned about Ruby. Regina would not worry herself if there wasn't, and with her sister in the hospital having nearly been murdered, the last thing Zelena wanted was for something to happen to Ruby. Ruby being injured while seeking vengeance on Regina's behalf would torment her sister endlessly; Zelena knew that because she would feel the same way.

"It means that we traced Ruby's movements to her house," David spoke up, coming unnecessarily to his daughter's defense – an irritating character trait present in every member of the Charming family. "But when she left there, she only used paved surfaces so that there was nothing for us to track her by."

"So obviously you came back here, then, to what? Wait around?" she asked, the sudden reemergence of her anxiety making her snippy. "For all you know she's out there getting herself killed!"

"Hey!" Snow objecting, bursting from her seat. "They did all they could. I know better than anybody that when Ruby doesn't want to be found she won't be."

"And don't forget what Ruby is," Granny added, more kindly than Snow had. "She can take care of herself."

Zelena scoffed, smiling derisively out of reflex. "Really? Like Regina did? Tell me, if there is someone out there who can so easily slip past my sister's defenses, what chance does Ruby stand – even as her furry alter ego?"

"Well, I can tell you one thing," Emma spoke up, brows drawn together as if she wanted to agree but such a concession was too painful for her to openly admit. "It's not helping anyone arguing about it."

"Mom's right," Henry agreed. "Look, I know you're worried Aunt Z, and so is Mom, but Ruby chose this." Seeming a little angered, he crossed his arms over his chest. "She could have stayed and protected Mom and the b..." Eyes widening, Henry corrected himself before whatever he had been about to say slipped out. "Instead," he deflected, blushing at his near mistake, "all she could think about was revenge."

After laying her knitting project in her lap, Granny replied, "In all fairness, she's probably operating under the influence right now. To the wolf, Regina is her mate, and seeing as she is safe here and on the mend, the wolf is out for blood. It won't rest until it gets it."

Henry frowned deeply. "I know, but..."

When Henry started to say whatever it was he was fixing to say, it suddenly dawned on Zelena that had almost let a the little piece of information slip before catching himself. Glancing over the room, she noticed that no one else had caught it except for Emma, who was wearing an expression of intrigue befitting a woman who had spent her life investigating crimes.

Needing to know whether Henry's slip was just a misspeak or a near accidental revelation of a secret concerning Regina, she interrupted him. "Wait a second," she began, crossing the small distance between herself, Henry and Emma. "What were you about to say just then?"

Zelena watched as Henry realized she had caught his mistake and then diverted his eyes. _Ah ha,_ she thought, _so he is hiding something._ Before laying a gentle hand on her nephew's shoulder, she first met Emma's eyes, making sure to reassure the Savior that she was not a threat, a fact Emma ought to know well by now, as should the rest of the town.

Truth be told, Zelena was a little tired of being mistrusted after years of lawful if not occasionally theatrical behavior, but she supposed it was to forever be a part of life for a semi-reformed Wicked Witch. After all, it had been even longer since her sister was the Evil Queen and even now Regina was still looked down upon with judgmental sneers from time to time.

But to her credit, Emma almost imperceptibly nodded, giving her approval for Zelena to question Henry. When she looked back at her increasingly manly nephew, she was met by shame filled eyes. "You're not in trouble, Henry," she assured, making sure to keep her voice easy and free of accusation. "But you were about to say something else before you stopped yourself. I got the feeling it concerns my sister, and if I'm right, I'd like to know."

Before answering, Henry glanced at his mother for direction. When she nodded, this time with more force, and then said, "Go ahead, it's okay," he sighed. "When Grandpa was healing Mom, he found something out. But before you even ask, I can't tell you what it was. It's big though."

Zelena did not have a chance to further press her inquiry. Emma beat her to the punch by stepping in closer to her son and then imploring, "C'mon, kid. You can't leave us hanging like that. We're all family here, right?"

Henry shook his head, looking steadfast in his decision, though it was clear to Zelena he wanted to tell the secret so badly he was fit to burst. Her interest ratcheted up several notches. "Sorry, Mom, no can do," was his firm answer. "You'll have to ask my Mom about it."

Zelena almost objected before deciding to leave things be for now. As well as showing extremely bad form, it would do no good to interrogate a young man who had just nearly lost his mother. Giving his shoulder an affectionate squeeze, Zelena then said, "We will, don't you worry. So," she then changed the subject, though her attention remained on Henry, "did your mother give any indication that she recognized her attacker?"

Zelena had asked because she knew that if Regina could identify the individual who had attacked her, logic dictated that investigating him would lead to Ruby's location as well.

As she studied Henry's face to gauge his reaction, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the question perked Emma's interest as well. _Good_ , she thought. Emma needed to be on point to catch the son of a bitch.

"I didn't ask her directly," Henry replied, "but for some reason I have a feeling that she did."

"What makes you say that?" Emma asked.

Henry looked up at his mother. "When I asked her what she thought would happen when Ruby found whoever hurt her, she said she didn't know but that it scared her. Mom is never scared. _Never._ Whether she was aware of it or not, she was afraid for a reason."

"She knew him," Zelena supplied.

Henry gave an affirmative nod. "I think so, yeah."

"Well," Zelena sighed, "this is not good. If Regina has cause for concern, even if it is subconscious, Ruby could be in a lot of trouble."

"So what am I supposed to tell Mom then?" Henry asked with wide, almost panicked eyes. "She's worried sick already. I can't go in there and tell her that no one knows where Ruby is and that no one has even talked to her since she left. She'll freak out."

Reaching out for her nephew's hand, Zelena gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about that, Henry. You don't have to do it alone. Victor told me that once Regina came 'round she could have more visitors, so we'll all go see your mother together. Alright?"

After a grateful smile, Henry took a deep breath and let it out. "Thanks, aunt Z."

"Of course, my dear," Zelena said, and then ruffled his hair playfully, which caused Henry to roll his eyes. She laughed. He really did look so much like Regina sometimes that it was a wonder he wasn't biologically related.

After that exchange some of the tension fled the room. Returning to her place beside Granny, Zelena sat and began the wait. She watched silently as Henry and Emma sat next to the rest of the Charming brood, chatting for a few moments before Emma pulled out her and began to call various individuals of Ruby's acquaintance to see if they had seen or heard from her. A few minutes later, Kathryn excused herself with a promise to return later, having received a call concerning a potential client in an emergency. And even though Snow White and her prince remained skeptical as to Zelena's intentions, glancing her way every now as if waiting for her to cackle and break out her broom, she remained patient and unaffected.

One of the first things Regina had taught her about redemption was that if it was to last, she had to stop caring what other people thought about her and start caring more about what she thought of herself. Though she had long since stopped caring whether Snow and David would ever forgive her, their negativity still grated on her nerves. If they continued on with it, being around them was going to cost her what was left of the enamel on the business ends of her teeth. But thankfully they had enough tact to keep their feelings to themselves, most likely for Henry and Regina's sake...and for Ruby's as well.

 _Oh, Ruby,_ Zelena thought to herself as she sunk back into her chair, _my sister needs you now more than ever._ _I do hope you know what you're doing._


	14. Magical Babies 101

**Notes** : In this chapter, we have some good news being given as well as some bad news. You'll have to read to find out what it is!

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 13** – Magical Babies 101

By the time Henry stepped back through the door of the hospital room, Regina had passed nearly half an hour in contemplation. Only the sudden opening of the door startled her from her thoughts. She glanced up to see her son enter the room with a train of friends and family following closely behind, including her sister, Zelena, Emma Swan, Snow, and David. A sable brow quirked up at him at the sudden onslaught of visitors.

"Dr. Whale said you could have more than one visitor at a time now," he explained with a boyish shrug. "I checked. And before I forget, Granny told me to tell you she'll be in later. She's going to keep trying to get Ruby on the phone."

Regina nodded. She had been a bit confused at Granny's absence, having figured her favorite cantankerous old hag would be present to buffet her spirits. Oddly enough, Regina had grown fond of Granny's unique brand of acerbic encouragement. Unlike most, the elder woman did not mince words whether in praise or in condemnation. Regina respected such brutal honesty.

But more than that, she loved Granny like the grandmother she never had growing up. Of all the side benefits to being with Ruby – and there were many – having Granny in her life was perhaps the most satisfying. It was nice to have someone to talk to who had lived as long and seen as much as Granny had, and thus presented an invaluable source of advice that Regina often availed herself of.

Although she knew that Granny felt similar affection for her, their relationship had not always been on such good terms. When she'd started dating Ruby, the elder Lucas would often glare daggers in her direction whenever she went to the diner for lunch or coffee or to visit Ruby on break. Seeing as no one else in town knew about their relationship (most figured they were just friends, which was so far off base), she'd known what those looks meant.

Eventually after enduring one too many pointed, accusatory stares, Regina had had enough. After marching over to the counter (this despite Ruby's protests that she not cause a scene), she placed her hands upon the surface of the counter and leaned almost threateningly toward a stone cold Granny.

"Keep staring you old bat," she'd growled in a modulated but no less menacing tone so that no one could overhear. "I've executed people for far less."

That she had been so mean was only due to her sense of hurt. Though she had not needed Granny's approval of her relationship with Ruby, she had nonetheless wanted it, so it bothered her that the old woman seemed to be dead set against it. No one else besides Granny wielded enough influence over Ruby to come between them, and that was something Regina could not tolerate. The relationship was relatively new, but she had been prepared to fight for it – to fight for Ruby – even if it meant being at odds with Granny.

Instead of reacting with fear or offense as most would, Granny had merely tutted with disapproval. "There's that temper I keep warning her about," she said, and then folded her arms across her chest. "She can't see it because she's already in too deep, but one of these days you're gonna turn on her and crush her sensitive heart. When that day comes, your Majesty, _that_ is when we'll find out who is executing whom."

Straightening up to her full height, Regina bristled. She was unused to such open threats. "First of all," she began, and the speech that followed was one of the most important of her life, "Ruby is a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. She is with me by choice. As her grandmother, you should honor that. Secondly, if you think for a second you could harm me, you're delusional. I welcome you to try, however.

"I also must say that it greatly offends me to hear you give her so little credit. I'd thought better of you, Granny. You raised her, you ought to damn well know her! Ruby is stronger than any of you people give her credit for. Stronger than you for certain, and far stronger than me. If there is anyone left standing should our relationship fail, it will be her."

"But most importantly, I would have you know that I would rather sever my own arm from my body than cause her any hurt. I am flawed woman, and yes, I have a vicious temper, but I give you my oath both as a noblewoman and as one mother to another, that I have only her best interests at heart. Ruby deserves better from this world, and I intend to be the one to give it to her whether you like it or not.

"Now, while that may make no difference in your clearly low opinion of me, from now on, I at least expect you to keep those to yourself – if not for my sake, then for Ruby's. Can't you see how you're hurting her when you look down on us? She loves you, Granny, and because you are her true mother, she feels compelled to seek your approval. I for one think she's earned it."

At the end of her impromptu speech, Regina stood firmly, her eyes boring into Granny's icy blue ones. And then Granny completely floored her by breaking out into a broad smile, and not a fake smile or a threatening one or even a mocking one, but a real one that showed just how deep her dimples were. It was the first time Granny ever looked at her that way, and to Regina's immense relief, it would not be the last.

"Thank you," Granny then said, her voice warm and inviting like a crackling fire in the hearth, a steaming mug of cocoa, and a mountain of heavy blankets awaiting her after coming in from a relentless blizzard. "I know all I need to know now."

"And what's that?" Regina had asked, totally confused.

"That you love her for who she is and not what she can give you," Granny replied.

Regina's brows drew together tightly. "So, what," she gestured between herself and Granny, "all this was a test? Of me?"

"Yes," Granny said succinctly.

"But why?"

Granny frowned almost absently. "During the Curse, I watched far too many lowlife scumbags use Ruby and then toss her away like garbage when all she wanted was someone to love her and accept her. I needed to know that what you feel for her is real." Her blue eyes turned soft. "It is."

Never one to take the word of someone who had once hated her face value, Regina pressed, "So now that you know this, you suddenly approve of me?"

After a genial chuckle, Granny reached out and patted Regina's hand fondly, startling her so that her eyes widened. "I always liked you, Regina," the older woman then said. "You're strong and driven and determined and sassy, and I appreciate those kinds of characteristics. I just never had a reason to express it until now, didn't feel comfortable saying it because you still hadn't proven yourself to me. I'm not nearly so easy to persuade as the others. I've seen far too many wolves in sheep's clothing in my day."

When Regina began to object at the comparison, Granny held up a hand. "I know you've done a lot of good things since you were the Queen, but most of those things were selfish in one way or another. You gave us a better life just so you could rule over it. You helped save the town because you wanted to get Henry back. Sending him away with Emma was the first selfless thing I ever saw you do. Caring about Ruby is the second."

"How so?" Regina asked, genuinely curious as to how being with Ruby was in any way selfless when she'd thought it the very opposite.

Granny shrugged. "For one, she is the oldest friend of your sworn enemy, so people are going to instantly suspect you are using her, and I know that you know that. She's not rich or powerful, not from good stock befitting a person of your breeding, so she won't help improve your social standing, not that it needs improving, mind you. And to top it all off, she has a dark past full of tragedy as well as a multitude of indiscretions that she is still trying to put behind her.

"Being with her will not win you any brownie points with your detractors, and I say that without trying to be demeaning. I love my granddaughter, but I also know that she is not...girlfriend, significant other, partner of the mayor material in any traditional sense.

"Ruby was the town whore and you were the Evil Queen. As unfair as it is, those are the perceptions, and perceptions die hard, Regina. If anyone knows that, it should be you. In that context, rationally speaking, you have much to lose and little gain by striking up a relationship that is going to raise all kinds of eyebrows. You're with Ruby right now despite what your head is telling you. It's your heart that is guiding you right now, and so long as that remains true, you have my blessing. Not that you asked for it or need it, but there it is all the same."

Not knowing what to say other than a muttered, "thank you," Regina nodded and began to turn away but was stopped by Granny's next proclamation.

"But, Regina," the silver haired matriarch had said, fixing Regina with a dreadfully grave stare. "I meant what I said about what would happen if you hurt her. I have a crossbow and I know how to use it."

Having been floored by Granny's unexpected support, Regina could only give the older woman a tight smile that reflected her deep respect. Were she to ever hurt Ruby, she knew that Granny would make good on that promise – still did, which gave her much more relief than fear. "I know." And with that, she returned to Ruby, feeling lighter than she had minutes before.

Upon walking through the doors of Granny's Diner the following day, she was greeted with another icy glare that made her doubt for a second whether Granny had changed her mind. But behind the facade there was a twinkle in those wise blue eyes that told her Granny's declaration was still true, that she had only acted that way to keep up appearances until she and Ruby went public with their relationship. Since then, Regina had grown so close to Granny that in her weakened state she was craving the older woman's steady demeanor and buoying presence.

Sitting up gingerly, Regina nudged her pillows up against the plastic headboard of the hospital bed and then leaned back against them. She had expected a great deal of discomfort in her wound when she sat up, but was surprised that despite the severity of the injury, her pain level was relatively low. Apparently, Rumple had done an acceptable job in healing her, though she was loathe to admit that fact even to herself.

"Henry..." Regina began to ask after Ruby, assuming that no one had heard from her by Granny's message. However, before she could even get the next word out, she was interrupted by Snow rushing to her bedside and grasping her hand tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay," the diminutive woman cried, eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I was so worried. We all were."

"Yes, well, as you can see, I'm fine," Regina tensely reassured with a husky voice, strongly desiring to deflect the over-abundance of concern wafting from her former nemesis. Snow was apt to skew toward the overly emotional, and Regina was already on edge as it was.

When Snow shook her head in exasperation, Regina knew she had seen right through her prideful mask of invincibility. Having been a part of each others lives for so long, the other woman was well aware of what she was trying to pull and was having none of it.

"You weren't fine 3 hours ago," Snow pointed out, frowning in disapproval. "You nearly died, Regina."

"A fact of which I'm well aware," Regina retorted, averting her eyes from the sincere green ones she had once detested so much. To see such caring in them even after all the pain they had inflicted upon one another was still disconcerting for her, but it was also strangely comforting, which both confused and annoyed Regina.

"Are you really?" Zelena then interjected, her pale eyes hardened as opposed to the sympathetic softness present in the other visitors. There was a reason for that. Of everyone in the room, Zelena alone understood how Regina was feeling, which was a source of comfort that would not have been possible had it not been for their reconciliation.

There was a time not so long ago when Regina had hated Zelena and the feeling had been quite vehemently reciprocated. It was strange now to look back on that time and think about just how hard they had tried to destroy one another when their motivations came from so similar a source.

Being quite literally cut from the same cloth – or at least half of it – accounted for much of the animosity in the early days of their relationship. Sure, there was the whole jealousy fueled revenge thing that included the abduction of an innocent baby, but upon reflection, Regina realized her hatred of Zelena stemmed from how much of herself she saw reflected in her sister's tortured eyes. It took a lot of strength for her to come to terms with that so that, and were it not for Ruby, it might never have happened.

No one was more surprised than Regina when Zelena returned from the dead, having been dragged forcibly back from the past. When Emma and Hook barged in the doors of the diner with Zelena in tow, she had rushed up to the Savior red faced and enraged. It hadn't escaped her attention that her insane sister was shackled by magical bonds that she recognized as coming from Rumplestiltskin's vault and was therefore harmless. Zelena was a menace that needed to be exterminated, magical deterrents or not, and she'd been fully cognizant of the fact that no one in Storybrooke besides herself and the Dark One had the stones to do what needed to be done. With Rumple playing the hero more and more due to Belle's influence, Regina had felt compelled to confront Emma about her ignorant decision. What she hadn't expected was to actually feel sympathy for her defeated witch of a sister.

"What the hell, Swan?" she yelled, not caring every occupant of the diner was watching the scene with bated breath. "You brought her back?"

"Good to see you, too, Sis," Zelena barked back, a bitter expression of defeat on her face.

"I didn't bring her back," Emma had said in explanation, unperturbed by Regina's anger. "She never died in the first place, just went back in time to screw up your life."

After that, Emma went into detail about her trip to the past, revealing how she'd nearly thrown a monkey wrench in the cogs of time by interrupting her parents meeting. She also explained the great lengths she'd had resort to in order to right the past and ensure her birth as well as the preservation of their timeline.

According to Swan, Zelena had tried to impersonate Marian, but Emma's 'superpower' had detected lies from the woman, enabling her to use her magic to reveal the truth. A fierce struggle ensued during which Emma almost leveled half the dungeon, accounting for that long unaccounted for event which had forced Regina to dip unexpectedly into the kingdom's coffers to pay for repairs.

After Emma managed to subdue Zelena through the power of her holier-than-thou zaps of cosmic True Love wizardry, she summoned Rumplestiltskin to make a deal. It was a rather clever turn, Regina had to admit, trading Zelena – who just so happened to be an incredibly powerful sorceress and a valuable commodity to such a man as him – for his help.

When he inevitably double crossed Emma later on and locked her in his vault to protect his chance at reuniting with his son, lo and behold, Zelena was there as well, bound with magical artifacts to prevent her from spellcasting her way out. Thus, when Emma opened the portal to return home, she brought Zelena back with her, unwilling to leave such a wild card in the past where she could wreak all kinds of havoc. It was the right decision, but that hadn't mattered to Regina at that point; she'd been far too irate to listen to logic.

"Well, that is just fantastic," Regina had said, turning her attention to her half-sister, full of acerbic sarcasm. "You die and go back in time, your plans fail miserably because Swan saw through your ruse, she trades you to the Dark One – who hates you by the way – and _still_ you find a way to make it back to Storybrooke alive. I would compare you to a cockroach, but I'm afraid of offending a creature more noble than you."

Instead of retorting as Regina had expected, Zelena said nothing. She just stood there, eyes dulling with every cutting word until her pale skin lost what little color it had.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Regina growled, trying to get a reaction out of her normally fiery sister. "No witty comebacks? No more ' _wicked_ ' puns?"

"There's nothing more to say, Regina," Zelena said, her voice as devoid of emotion as her eyes. "You've won. I'm defeated. Our mother was right to choose you after all. Enjoy it as you wish."

The words frankly stunned Regina so much that she said nothing more as Emma handed Zelena off to Robin, who volunteered to see her to her cell safely, leaving Roland in Regina's care. For just a moment, she started to feel something besides contempt for Zelena, but it didn't last long. Later on that night, Robin returned home to collect Roland, angry beyond reason after being informed that it was Regina who was responsible for Marian's death back in the Enchanted Forest.

"I didn't want to believe it," he'd said, his demeanor more closed off than she'd ever seen, "but then I talked to Emma. She confirmed that Marian was in _your_ dungeons before Zelena got to her. _You_ are the one who killed my wife, who took my son's mother away from him!"

Desperate to hold on to the relationship she'd felt slipping away, Regina reached for Robin only to have him slap her hand away. Reeling back, she gasped, looking on with unshed tears pooling in her eyes as Roland cried in his father's arms. Robin was seething with so much justified anger that Regina knew he would never forgive her. While he was a kind man, her culpability in Marian's demise was not something he would be able to move past.

"Robin, I didn't know _,_ " she'd pleaded. In spite of her intellectual mind knowing things were over between them, her heart was scrambling for anything with which to repair the crumbling foundations of their love. No matter how hard she tried, though, she could not find purchase. "I'm not that woman anymore. You know that. I swear that I didn't know who she was. I swear!"

"Would you have changed your mind if you had?" he had then asked, and the question was one that sucked the breath out of Regina's lungs. A truthful answer to that question would sound the death knell of the blossoming romance between them, and yet Regina could not find it within herself to lie. She had grown weak in her desire to prove herself to Henry. Reading her lack of an answer as tacit confirmation, which it was, he nodded once and his eyes turned cold.

Backing away, he opened the front door with one hand, still holding Roland with the other. "It's as I thought," he said, sad and bitter and hurt. "A person does not become that kind of evil without it taking permanent root. You may have changed, Regina, but deep down that woman still lives inside you, and that is a woman I cannot abide loving, nor trust with my son's safety. I was a fool to believe otherwise."

Turning abruptly, he strode out the door with Regina calling after him, pursuing him as far as the threshold between the front door and the porch. "Robin, don't leave! _Please_!"

Stopping for a brief moment, he looked back over his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Regina, I truly am. Perhaps some day you may find a person who can love that part of you, but that person is not me. It's over. So please, do both of us a favor and move on. Don't contact me in future. I shan't be staying here for long."

With those harsh departing words that cut Regina to the heart, Robin took his son and left. Devastated, Regina was reduced to leaning on the frame of her front door to hold herself up. After returning inside some minutes later, she screamed at the top of her lungs and at last broke down. That night, she sobbed her heart out to an oppressively empty house.

Once she'd recovered enough that anger of her own set it, she drove the short distance to the Sheriff's department in the middle of the night just to confront the person responsible for ruining her happiness. She'd found Zelena laying on the little cot in her cell, sniffling away tears of her own.

"You...you miserable bitch," Regina had growled, gripping the bars of the cell so that she would not be tempted to rip Zelena apart. "Robin left me because you told him I killed Marian as the Evil Queen, and now he's convinced that I'll never truly change. Those pretty words in the diner were just as false as you are. You just couldn't accept defeat so you had to take me down with you!"

Nonreactive, Zelena continued to lay there, motionless, though she did reply. "He asked what happened to Marian and I told the truth...for once," she said. "I could have lied and cast all the blame on you, but I didn't. I freely admitted to personally killing his beloved so I could take her place. Funny thing, though, that all he could see was the crime you had committed while the Evil Queen. And here I thought love was supposed to be blind."

Sitting up with slow movements as if it took great effort, Zelena leveled Regina with a dead-eyed gaze that shook her to the core. It was as if all pretense was stripped away, leaving Zelena bare and raw and more real than Regina had ever seen her. If she hadn't been so furious and heartbroken she might have been moved by her sisters openness. Still, she listened as Zelena spoke.

"You see, for all of _his_ pretty words that the Evil Queen wasn't really you, when it came down to it, he still chose to believe that she was still a part of you." Sighing, Zelena shook her head. "When are you going to learn, Regina? We cannot escape our pasts. They follow us everywhere we go, defining us in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. We cannot outrun them and we cannot hide from them. They are our burden to bear for the rest of our days.

"Therefore our lot in life – yours and mine – is to suffer, to be miserable, and to never be happy. If I had not told Robin the truth, Emma would have, or someone else. Eventually the truth would have come out, so I figured it might as well be me you blame since you already hate me. But in the end, you'll see. I did you a favor."

"You did no such thing!" Regina replied, her face twisted with rage as tears streamed down her face. Despite her protests, she'd recognized the truth behind Zelena's words. However much she sacrificed, however much she changed, her past always wound up surfacing at some point or another to ruin it, and if it was not that, it was something else. Zelena was right, her mother had condemned both her daughters to unhappiness by merely giving birth to them.

But even so, Regina was too far gone in her haze of grief to process the truth of Zelena's brief speech. After railing at her sister a while longer, she left with threats of vengeance hanging in the air.

It would only be months later that in thinking about what her sister had said, Regina would recognize something changed in Zelena that night. It required an enormous exercise of patience, painful amounts of restraint, and a great deal of vulnerability for Regina to let go of the sizable portion of blame she had unfairly heaped upon her sister. Zelena was right. Much of her plight had been self-inflicted. It was something she had always known but never wanted to acknowledge.

After much contemplation on the subject, Regina eventually came to the conclusion that Zelena was not her enemy after all but a fellow victim. Her childhood abuse at her mothers hand did not make her a special case, for she was not the first child her mother had destroyed. Zelena was. Everything Zelena had done, every choice she made was influence by that initial abandonment. She became who she was because Cora had failed her at a time when she was most vulnerable, had proven herself an incapable mother at a time when Zelena had most needed her to step up and be a woman worthy of drawing breath, a human being deserving of the gift of life.

Recognizing that was one of the hardest things Regina had ever done. When she first found out she had an older sister who was abandoned by her mother, she had never imagined it to be a bad thing that Zelena was spared their mother's abuse. And yet, she eventually learned from her sister's own mouth that by abandoning her, their mother had condemned her firstborn to a life far worse than the one Regina suffered through.

It had shocked Regina when Zelena began to, quite out of the blue, spill her guts one day, declaring numbly that all of her efforts to make a life for herself were futile because her father was right about her all along. The more Zelena revealed the more Regina came to understand that no matter how much Zelena tried to hide it behind snark and ostentatious displays, she was just a broken girl whose only desire was for someone to love her. And unlike Regina, she hadn't had a kindhearted man such as Regina's father Henry to raise her. Instead, Zelena was belittled by her father at every turn until she started to believe the vitriol was true. Told she was useless and worthless, that she was a demon spawned from hell because of her magic, and that she was destined for misery, it was inevitable that she would lose all sense of self-worth.

In embracing her magic, Zelena got some of her power back, but the damage had already been done. Of all the amazing things magic could do, it could not heal insecurities that had been carved into a heart by a million razor sharp words, something Regina understood on a similarly deep level. Zelena's pain made her the only person alive who could understand the torment of bearing a parent's constant disapproval. And then on top of that they had a common enemy in Cora, a mother whose sins hung over their heads as if a generationally cursed sword of Damocles, ever-awaiting to drop and strike down any happiness they had scrapped together through blood, sweat, and tears.

After that, Regina spent more time actually talking to her sister, getting to know the woman beneath the Wicked Witch. It took time, but eventually both sisters came to a mutual understanding in which Regina forgave Zelena for her irrational hatred and Zelena chose to let go of the envy of Regina she had carried around for so long. In time, with relations between them improving, Regina actually began to look forward to her biweekly visit to the Sheriff's station.

But not too long thereafter, Emma started talking about sending Zelena over the town line to a more secure facility because Storybrooke lacked an adequate solution to the dilemma of her prolonged imprisonment and she could not stay in the cramped cells of the Station for much longer. To everyone's great surprise, Regina refused to agree to every transfer request she was sent, arguing that as the Queen she had done much, much worse and on a far greater scale than Zelena had ever dreamed of. Being a stubborn woman, Regina won out in the end and Zelena was released into her custody.

For a month after, Zelena lived with Regina, during which time the sisters took the opportunity to build the foundations of a relationship they could move forward with. As would be imagined, there were a lot of angry words exchanged during that time, along with tense meals where neither sister could bear to look at the other. Despite the mutual understanding, they were still fundamentally different people who each had to learn to accept the flaws and to appreciate the strengths of the other. Doing so required much restrain, especially on Regina's part.

It was no small blessing then that she had been dating Ruby during that time. Her new lover had proven a constant source of encouragement that got Regina through many difficult rows with her elder sister (whose temperament often matched her hair color).

A month after that, Zelena found employment when Whale, having heard of her skill as a midwife, took pity on her and gave her a job at the hospital. It was not glamorous or prestigious and she'd had to fight the suspicion with which people understandably regarded her, but the opportunity came with the promise of earning a way towards being employed by the hospital, so Zelena accepted. Not long after, Regina asked Ruby to move in, so Zelena expressed that it was high time for her to find a place of her own.

After that, they settled into a nice relationship that Regina was grateful for, and although the past was still an issue in some circles where Zelena was concerned – just as it was with Regina – things were relatively good between herself and her sister.

"Obviously I'm not at my best," she answered her Zelena's question, "but considering everything, I'm as well as can be expected."

Narrowing her eyes, Zelena studied Regina's face for a moment, searching for any deflection or deception. Apparently finding none, she nodded. "Well, I'm glad of that, then. I was worried about you."

Softening a bit, Regina managed a small smile, though it was tempered by her own worry about a very conspicuous absence. "I appreciate that, Zelena, really, but right now, I'm more worried about Ruby." Fixing her eyes on her son, she inquired of him: "Henry, you said Granny was trying to reach Ruby, so I'm assuming you didn't talk to her."

The apology written across his face told her the answer before his words did.

"No, I didn't," he said, his voice revealing his stress. "I called 5 times before we came back but it went to voice mail every time. I guess Granny isn't having any luck either."

Regina's throat constricted. She looked away as moisture formed at her eyelids.

"Hey, let's not jump to conclusions just yet," Emma said from her position at the foot of the bed, recognizing Regina's expression for what it was: fear. As usual, the Savior's powers of perception had accurately gauged her reaction. "You know that when she's the wolf she can't answer her phone because its wherever everything else disappears to when she changes. That's probably why she's not answering."

Regina wanted to believe Emma's explanation might be true, but remained unconvinced. Deep down in her heart, she was still very unsettled, but she was not quite ready to give in to her unease when there was yet a possibility that Ruby might be fine.

"You might be right," she said to Emma. "I pray that you are."

Emma gave a reassuring smile. "Ruby is the most capable person I know. She can take care of herself."

"I'm aware," Regina replied, "but that doesn't stop me from worrying about her. Nothing is going to change until I hear her voice or see her face for myself."

Tilting her head very slightly to the side, Emma shrugged. "Fair enough."

Looking back at Henry, Regina's mind then turned to her other request. "Did you at least call your grandfather as I requested?"

"Yep," he said, nodding once. "I called him as soon as I left the room. The nurse at the desk let me use a phone. He said he'll be back here as soon as he can, but I think he was giving me the runaround. I did hear Belle yelling at him in the background, though, so my guess is he'll be here any minute."

Everyone in the room chuckled – Regina included, despite her best efforts – at the image of the petite, sweet, and gentle Belle bossing around the most powerful man any of them had ever known. Rumple and Belle made for a strange couple, but Regina had to admit that they worked. Belle kept Rumple honest in a way no one else could, and Rumple gave Belle a perpetual challenge that served to keep her brilliant mind sharp.

Besides, Regina wasn't about to go casting stones about Belle and Rumple being an odd couple when _no one_ – including herself – had imagined it possible that she would fall in love with Ruby Lucas. The Evil Queen and Little Red Riding Hood made for an equally strange pairing, but like Rumple and Belle, their dichotomous natures complemented one another. That alone spoke volumes to her about what was and was not possible where the heart was concerned. Love was never to be underestimated.

Well, Regina amended upon glancing at her sister, everyone smiled but Zelena, whose fair features turned foul upon mention of Rumplestiltskin. The two had never come to terms with what transpired between them, whatever that was, nor would either talk about it. In fact, they could barely stand to spend more than five minutes in each others presence.

Regina hoped for her sake that they could keep things civil when Rumple arrived. The last thing she needed to compound her troubles was her sister locking horns with the Dark One.

"So, Regina," Emma then spoke from the foot of the bed, her green eyes sharp with inquisition, "Henry said you got big news. Care to share?"

Regina frowned at the nosy question and then glanced over to Henry who repeated his sheepish shrug. She hadn't thought to tell him to keep quiet about the pregnancy, but she supposed it was too late now to put that particular rabbit back in the hat. Once Emma got a hint of something that interested her, she was nearly impossible to deter.

Focusing on Emma again with a sarcastic barb on her tongue, Regina was stopped short as she took notice of the Savior's demeanor. Regina recognized defensiveness when she saw it, telegraphed as it was by a carefully constructed mask of composure and arms crossed protectively over her chest. In that moment, she realized with marked clarity just how much Emma had been hurt by what had happened to her.

It was not the first time Regina had seen the Savior adopt such a pose. Emma Swan was as strong a woman as she had ever met, but when events occurred that impacted her life negatively, she tended to draw in upon herself. The effects were even worse when someone she cared about got hurt, such as when Henry ate the apple turnover meant for her, or when Snow had been reduced to a shell of a woman by her choice to kill Regina's mother. Emma did not deal well with the emotions that surfaced when such things happened, an after effect of her terrible childhood which had taught her caring about people only lead to heartbreak. The way she was currently holding herself was an indication of a subconscious attempt to shield herself from what she was feeling.

Regina sighed, berating herself a little bit for feeling such sympathy for the woman who had so effortlessly broken her curse. There had been so many times over the years that she'd wanted nothing more than to hate Emma, but there was little she could do keep herself from caring. Emma was such a real person that it was hard to maintain an aura of detachment with her. And truth be told, just as she had with nearly all of Storybrooke, the Savior had wormed her way into Regina's heart. Damn her.

"I suppose since everyone here is practically family, I may as well read you in," Regina conceded, fixing her eyes on Emma, Snow, and then David in turn. She didn't bother with Zelena. Regina trusted that her sister would keep her secret. Continuing with a stern tone, she then said, "But this information is not to leave this room. It is to remain privileged until I say otherwise. Understood?"

When each of the three nodded in agreement to Regina's terms, she glanced at her son, who was looking at her encouragingly. Regina gave everyone a tentative smile and then just blurted it out.

"I'm pregnant." The responses to her bombshell, though equally intense, were also unfortunately varied.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Congratulations, Sis!" Zelena exclaimed, honest joy in her blue eyes. The reaction raised Regina's spirits considerably. She needed her sister's support now more than ever.

Meanwhile, David and Emma were struck speechless. Instead of saying anything, they merely stared at her with wide eyes and open mouths as if unable to comprehend the three syllables she had spoken. It was a very 'Charming' reaction. Regina was about to comment on how comically imbecilic they looked, but when she caught Snow's reaction her heart plummeted into her stomach.

From where she sat beside the bed, Snow began to splutter "You're pregnant?" she harshly inquired a moment later, looking as indignant as Regina had seen in her a very long time. "Regina! How could you?"

"Pardon me?" Regina replied, wounded by the unexpected backlash. She had honestly thought Snow of all people would be happy for her. The woman was a living, breathing advertisement for happiness and was particularly excitable when babies were mentioned. To see her so angry was a shock. "Are you seriously upset with me about this?"

"How can I not be?" Snow bit out, betrayal clearly evident in her words and on her face. "Ruby is my friend and you cheated on her!"

The accusation made Regina physically flinch as if struck. Instantly outraged, her cheeks began to burn with both embarrassment and fury.

"How dare you," she spat, narrowly beating her sister to the punch. Raising her hand up to stifle Zelena's incoming outburst, Regina felt her defenses immediately go on high alert and she could hear the heart monitor beside her speed up in response to her skyrocketing blood pressure. The wound on her chest began to ache with the heat of her ire. "You have some nerve to accuse me of cheating on Ruby – in front of everyone no less! And not that I have to explain myself to you, but I love her! I would never cheat on her. _Never_! The very idea of it is so absurd that I can't believe you would even suggest it."

"Until just now, I would have believed that," Snow answered, her own timbre rising along with Regina's. "But what else am I supposed to think? Someone had to have fathered that child. Ruby said nothing to me about trying alternative methods and believe me, she would have told me about wanting a baby with you, Regina. After all of these years, you know very well that we don't keep those kinds of secrets from each other."

Recognizing the harsh judgment in Snow's eyes, Regina glanced swiftly around the room, finding similar condemnation on David's face. Intense feelings of hurt burned through her chest, leaving behind a dull, heavy ache. She then looked at Emma, expecting to see that prominent Charming judgmentalism written all over her face just as it was her parents. But rather than appearing suspicious, Emma's expression remained mostly neutral, reflecting her willingness to hear Regina's side of the story before drawing her own conclusions.

Regina's offended demeanor crumbled at the unexpected show of support from Emma, however miniscule it was. There was a time not so long ago in which the Savior would not have exhibited such temperance. In all likelihood, she would have jumped on the bandwagon of heaving insults Regina's way; hell, she probably would have been the person leading it. Such willingness to withhold judgment was an affirmation of just how much things had changed between herself and the Savior. Still, knowing Emma had some degree of faith in her did little to alleviate the hurt of Snow and David's mistrust.

"Even after all this time, it's just so easy to believe the worst about me isn't it?" Regina sadly commented.

It was only after seeing Snow's chastisement and its effect on his mother that Henry jumped to her defense. Regina understood his predicament. Being stuck in between family on opposite sides of an argument was as an uncomfortable a position as a person could be put it. And while she did not doubt whose side her son was on, the tiny hesitation still stung.

"It's not like that at all, Grandma!" he said insistently. "Mom didn't cheat on Ruby. There is no father. Ruby is the other parent."

"What?" Snow gasped, eyes wide and brows furrowed. "But that's impossible!"

Regina opened her mouth to retort sharply, but was cut off by a voice made easily recognizable by its defining brogue.

"That's not necessarily true, dearie," Rumplestiltskin supplied from the doorway. Regina's eyes shot over only to find him looking down on her with an absurd amount of amusement. She sneered back at him with barely concealed displeasure, hating that he was deriving entertainment at her expense yet again. "In this case, I'm afraid there are extenuating circumstances. Namely the most powerful magic of all."

With Rumplestiltskin's proclamation, all eyes in the room filled with amazement save one set. Zelena stared on with unconcealed distrust, ready to act at a moment's notice. Regina stopped her with a pointed glare. Huffing, Zelena melted into her seat with a roll of her eyes that always served to remind Regina that genetics were, indeed, a powerful factor in determining behavior.

"Wait a second. You're telling me that True Love can make a baby?" Emma asked in disbelief. "Even for two women?"

Instead of assaulting Rumple with her own questions, Regina held her peace in order to hear to his answer. However unintentionally, Emma had asked the very question that she had been burning to have answered. With nearly all control of her life having been so utterly usurped from her, she desperately needed to understand how this stunning but wonderful development had come to pass.

Nodding affirmatively at Emma, Rumple smirked in his patented, smarmy way. "Indeed, Sheriff. Of course, the stars must be properly aligned, as it were. You should know better than most, Miss Swan, just how powerful true love's magic really is. It is the fuel for your metaphorical and literal fire, after all."

"If that's so, why did we never hear of this kind of thing back home?" David inquired, sounding very unconvinced. Regina did not blame him. It was a valid question.

"It's rather complicated," Rumple replied.

Regina watched him step into the room and then walk over to stand next to Emma, making it obvious by his body language and his contemptuous snarl that he was opposed to Zelena's presence. Her sister returned the unspoken antipathy in kind.

As Rumple moved into position, every eye in the room followed him with rapt attention, which Regina knew he was eating up. Like always, life to him was a show and he was its puppet master who enjoyed every single experimental or purposeful pull of the strings. Having stopped at the foot of the bed, he dramatically leaned on his cane.

"As I explained to my grandson and Miss Lucas," he continued, "it happened even back home. The reason why you never heard of such happenings is that when they occurred, the involved party was always required to pay the price."

It didn't take long for Regina to put two and two together, and upon arriving at four, she gasped. "Oh, God! They died, didn't they? Because the price for a life is a life."

When Rumple inclined his head toward her with an almost fatherly pride, Regina felt a strange, nearly imperceptible sense of pleasure. Recognizing it for what it was, she shuddered, despising the fact that decades had passed without completely erasing her need for affirmation from him, and that any small amount of that praise from her former teacher was still able to reduce her to that needy, helpless girl she had once been. The weakness that feeling brought along with it was so abhorrent that she gritted her teeth and forced it away with all her might.

An equally proud smile followed as he confirmed her deduction. "An accurate deduction. Well done."

Suddenly, a horrible truth dawned upon Regina. She remembered being told that she had technically died twice on the operating table, and now she had a reason as to why. There had been forces at work far beyond a knife that she was unaware of. She wondered, then, how it was possible she was still breathing. When magic demanded a price, it extracted it to the uttermost farthing.

"I died," she whispered, looking up at Rumple through glassy eyes. "Henry told me that my heart stopped twice during surgery. I was technically dead for nearly a minute. I died to pay for the life of my child, didn't I?"

"Yes," the Dark One replied, his earlier smugness disappearing in an instant. His brown eyes softened in a way that belied a surprising but genuine sadness about that fact. "Fortunately for you and your baby, the technology of this world was able to bring you back."

Regina clutched her stomach protectively, suddenly afraid that she was still in mortal danger, or even worse, her baby was. "Has magic been satisfied then?" she asked in a demanding tone. Her maternal instinct was kicking in with a desperate need to be reassured of her child's well being. "Has the price been paid?" When Rumple's expression shuddered off momentarily, Regina panicked. "Tell me! I need to know! Is my baby safe?"

Snapping out of his trance-like state, he startled a bit, then nodded. "Yes, yes. It's been paid in full," he replied. While he appeared to be telling the truth, Regina was bothered by the obvious hesitance that remained present on his face. She would soon find out why it was there. "In this case, there is no need to worry about yourself or your child. It's Miss Lucas you must be concerned about at the moment."

"What?!" she screeched, her heart seizing up momentarily. "What's wrong with Ruby? Explain yourself this instant!"

After glancing warily around the room, Rumple then fixed his gaze on Regina, which caused her stomach to flutter nervously.

"Are you sure you want me to share such... _delicate_ information among present company?"

"Hey!" Emma and Snow simultaneously protested the implication while David remained silent. Zelena made an ugly face at his back that would have been humorous in less dire circumstances.

Rumple held his hands up in a mollifying gesture. "I meant no disrespect," he explained, and then smirked once again as he gave Zelena a sidelong glance. "Well...mostly."

Zelena scoffed. "Get over yourself, you gimpy little fu-"

"Zelena!" Regina cut in. "Not helping." Zelena rolled her eyes once more, crossing her arms over her chest as she pouted. Sometimes Regina honestly felt like the elder sibling. Sighing, she turned back to Rumple. "As you were saying..."

"As I was saying," he picked up, nonplussed, "this information is of a very sensitive nature and I'm sure everyone here knows how private a person you are."

In much the same way her sister had, Regina scoffed. "Don't presume to know what kind of person I am or what I want, Rumple," she replied tersely. "You lost that right a long time ago."

"You're right, of course," he acquiesced in a marginally apologetic fashion. "I leave the decision to you, then."

Looking around the room, Regina studied each person individually. As she did so, she searched their faces to discern their thoughts and intentions, finding in each of them only care and concern for her welfare and Ruby's alike. Despite their complicated pasts, she knew that she was among people who truly cared for her and who without a doubt loved Ruby. As such, she was inclined to trust them. Besides, they were already privy to her pregnancy, which was by far the most sensitive information about her life at the moment.

"Tell me now," she stated, turning demanding eyes back to Rumplestiltskin. "I'm tired of secrets. All they've done in the past is hurt me."

At her answer, Rumple studied her for a moment as if looking for something. The deep contemplation unnerved her.

"What?"

"You certainly have come a long way, Regina," he observed, sounding strangely proud once again. Regina didn't really know what to do with that, so she let the statement hang in the air until he continued. "Very well. Henry informed me that you were aware that I had to use my magic to save your life due to the wolfsbane that was afflicting you and attacking your child."

"He did," Regina confirmed.

Nodding, Rumplestiltskin proceeded to explain. "When my magic reached out, I was immediately able to sense your child. As you well know, such powerful magic, even so nascent, leaves an undeniable signature which any competent sorcerer can detect. As I am a curious man, after I drained the poison, I stored it in a vessel to study it later. Miss Lucas demanded to smell the poison, I assume in order to later track your assailant."

Regina nodded sadly at that, not really wanting to think about where Ruby was right now or whether she was hurt or worse. She couldn't help it, though. She loved Ruby with all of her heart and the thought of her out there hunting Joshua all alone was terrifying.

"Well," said Rumple, drawing her focus back on him, "when she approached to take the vessel from me, she was close enough for me to detect something unusual: a rather prominent magical signature. Incidentally, it was very same one I had detected in you, Regina. I don't think I have to spell it out for you to understand what that means."

He didn't. Regina's heart sequentially soared and then plummeted to the depths of her chest in such rapid succession that she was left reeling from shock-induced vertigo. She looked at Rumple with pleading, misty eyes, questioning him silently.

"Yes, dearie," he answered the mute inquiry, "Miss Lucas is also with child. I suspect both conceptions happened on the same occasion. The bond between the two of you must be absolutely extraordinary, but that is irrelevant at the moment considering what I just explained to you about the price of magic."

As the meaning behind Rumple's earlier warning finally registered, Regina's vision turned white and she slumped back heavily against the bed.

"Mom!" "Sis!" "Regina!" several voices exclaimed at once, laden with concern.

Breathing heavily, Regina clenched her eyes shut. "Please tell me I'm dreaming," she whispered aloud, beginning to hyperventilate. "I can't…I can't lose her. I need her. I'm not ready. I can't lose her!" Her eyes shot open, hysterically pleading for Rumple to relieve her overwhelming anxiety. "Tell me there's something we can do! Anything!" Begging her former mentor in such a way left a sour taste in Regina's mouth, but she was far too desperate to care.

Rumple shook his head sadly as his eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry."

Regina valiantly tried to hold herself together but couldn't. Overcome by sorrow, she began to sob miserably into her hands, not caring that the people around her were witness such a pathetic display of weakness. She was devastated. Regina felt herself starting to unravel as if the last remaining thread of her sanity had been violently yanked, causing a chain reaction that sent her spinning toward an inexorable breakdown. Insanity loomed largely and darkly on the horizon.


	15. The White Rose

**Notes** : At the end this time.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

Chapter 14 – The White Rose

As Regina sank further and further into the grip of madness, she felt her mind begin to swirl, and it seemed for a moment as if the air were being sucked out of the room. The sheer force of the vacuum sucking every ounce of oxygen from her lungs began to compress her chest until it ached. Every valiant attempt to reel in her runaway emotions was derailed by the implications of what Rumple had told her. Ruby was going to die and there was nothing she could do about it.

Gasping, she lurched forward, curling in on herself as she wrapped her arms around her abdomen, instinctively attempting protecting her baby from the vicious nature of her internal distress. But with the way the walls seemed to be closing in on her at a breakneck speed, it proved to be a fruitless endeavor. A lance of pain shot through her chest, settling low in her stomach, and were it not for a hand slipping into her own at that very moment, Regina might have finally done her own impression of a fuel rod from the doomed Chernobyl reactor.

Clutching onto the hand in a death grip, she glanced up just in time to see Henry sit carefully on the edge of the bed next to her and wrap his other arm around her back. He then pulled her shoulder to cradle her against his chest, comforting her in the way she once had for him when he was a little boy. To her great relief the physical contact with her son began to settle her runaway emotions, helping to anchor her back to a reality she could cope with. Tears still pricked at her eyes. The thoughtfulness motivating so kind a gesture was just so very Henry. At times her son gave of himself to his own detriment, but she loved him for it.

A long space of time – perhaps minutes, perhaps seconds, it was hard to tell when one could barely breathe – passed during which Regina drew as much strength from Henry as she could. When she looked up from his chest after calming enough to face her company once more, she swept her eyes around the room from the haven of Henry's embrace. What Regina witnessed revealed that her turmoil was not unique.

Fat tears were dripping off of Snow's face, her expression one of immense, crushing sadness. But despite her condition, she reached out once more to hold Regina's hand, a show of kindness in keeping with her benevolent character. The action provoked recognition in Regina that she did not have a monopoly on caring for Ruby, that there were other people who loved Storybrooke's resident quirky and fun-loving werewolf. Many of them were present in the room with her. And though losing Ruby would not have nearly so profound an effect on their lives as it would Regina or Granny, they would mourn her nonetheless.

Forgetting the accusation that had been made only minutes earlier by Snow, Regina accepted the offer of support, knowing that as much she needed it, Snow did as well. The woman was, after all, Ruby's oldest friend. The two women had been there for one another when all hope seemed lost, when their lives were at their bleakest, and together they had soldiered through those dark times to emerge out the other side stronger for the journey.

It had been Snow's unwavering support that saw Ruby through her most trying days after Peter's death, and it was Ruby's instincts and survival skills that kept Snow alive long enough for her to learn how to fend for herself. Together, the two friends had defied Regina for years, escaping her clutches time and again, frustrating her plans and denying her the vengeance she so fervently sought. Through that hellish crucible an unshakable friendship had been forged that would be remembered for ages to come. Of all Ruby's friends save perhaps Emma, Snow would feel the loss most keenly.

Glancing up from Snow's splotchy, tear-stained face, Regina noticed David's jaw clench in frustrated anger. Charming was a man of action, so it was understandable that being unable to rescue Ruby would be a constant aggravation to his knight-in-shining-armor sensibilities. The situation was only made more untenable for him because he considered Ruby more of a sister than a friend, and Regina knew that if possible, he would exchange his life for Ruby's without a second thought – as would Snow. The Charmings could be an annoying bunch at the best of times, but they could also be so selfless that Regina marveled such people could be real. It was at times such a this that she was glad to have them on her side.

Next, Regina sought out her sister. From where she sat in her chair, paler than normal, Zelena looked stricken as if she'd been punched in the gut. Regina knew her magically savvy sister had understood Rumple's explanation in a more visceral way than anyone else in the room. Magic was ruthless when extracting its due and though the magic Ruby had made with Regina to create two lives was not a conscious act, she was nonetheless expected to pay, just as Regina had. It was clearly devastating news for Zelena to receive.

Other than herself and Henry, no one in Storybrooke had been as ready to forgive Zelena as Ruby. In fact it was in large part due to Ruby's influence that Regina even had any kind of relationship with her sister at all, not to mention the deep understanding which they had developed after Zelena's outpouring of emotion that day in the Storybrooke Sheriff's Station. Without Ruby's gentle encouragement, Regina would have forever lacked motivation to be the one doing the reaching out where her wayward sister was concerned.

What's more, Ruby and Zelena had gone on to form a real friendship that existed outside of their mutual connection with Regina. Both being sartorial standouts, they often went out of town on shopping trips together only to come back home laden down with bags full of clothes Regina wouldn't be caught dead wearing and giggling like school girls about something they'd seen or done on their excursion. With Ruby, Zelena was a different person, more joyful and carefree by virtue of Ruby's general happiness rubbing off on her. The effect Ruby had on people was not unique to Zelena, but it meant more to Regina that her scarred and distrustful sister was a distinct beneficiary.

And when all of them were together as a family to share a meal or celebrate a special occasion, Ruby acted as the perfect intermediary. Often during arguments that could grow intense between the two extremely stubborn Mills women, Ruby would referee by providing perspective to each of them, reeling back tempers before either sister got too far lost in the rabbit hole of past offenses to see sense.

Ruby was family to Zelena, and Regina didn't want to think about what her sister might do should the worst happen. With her own demons threatening to rear their ugly heads once more, she needed Zelena to hang on to her sanity. The town could not afford both of them losing their heads, even if they had every reason to.

Catching her sister's eyes, Regina gave Zelena a small smile meant to encourage her. It did not have a dramatic effect, but Zelena seemed to understand what she was trying to say without words. With a sharp nod, her sister's posture returned to a more controlled state.

Relieved, Regina then turned her eyes to the foot of the bed where Emma was standing in disbelieving stillness. With her green eyes staring out into nothing and her arms wrapped even more tightly around herself than before, the formidable Savior looked on the verge of disconnecting. She had already received one blow when Regina was hurt, but to learn so soon after that her best friend was virtually condemned to death seemed to be the straw that may very well break the camel's back.

There were only four people in the world who would understand why Emma would be so devastated by Ruby's death. Emma and Ruby were obviously two of them, but Regina was aware of the truth, as was Sydney, that the Savior and the Big Bad Wolf were far more than friends. Their exceptional closeness was something that Regina, a cautious and suspicious woman by nature, remained cognizant of at all times, and had been part of the reason she reacted so badly to Ruby taking a job at the Sheriff's department.

With the bond between her partner and the Savior already deeper than Regina would have liked for it to be, a tiny, insecure part of herself had feared that working together so closely on a day to day basis would lead to a consummation of the attraction they had shared before the Curse broke. And yes, Regina knew about that as well.

Seeing that in her eyes Emma had come to town to blow up her family, she had made a point of being aware of every interaction the blonde newcomer had and of every acquaintance she made. That being the case, it hadn't escaped her attention that Emma began spending a lot of time with Ruby outside of work. It wasn't really surprising. As annoying as Emma was, she was also charismatic and young and beautiful, and with Ruby not lacking in any of those departments either, it made sense that something might develop between them.

At the time, Regina had no stake in that game, so she hadn't really cared beyond the blackmail material it would provide. Since their little interaction back in the Enchanted Forest, Regina had been aware Ruby's door swung both ways, but she hadn't suspected Emma to be so inclined. Henry's birth mother turning out to be a closeted lesbian would have made for a juicy piece of leverage to hold over that perfect crown of golden curls, so she had begun paying extra attention whenever the two spent time together. Things developed very slowly until Graham died, but after that they got very interesting.

In those days, if Emma was not slaving away her sorrow at work or fretting herself sick over whatever tragic situation Mary Margaret had 'landed' in lately, she was meeting Ruby at the Diner or at the Rabbit Hole to cry on an inhumanly sturdy shoulder. When Emma was especially down and Ruby was extra attentive, it wasn't rare for Emma to be caught making moon eyes at the girl whose singular beauty turned just about everyone in town – save Regina, of course – into a slobbering fool.

Not a personal witness to any of this, Regina was kept in the loop by her thrall, Sydney, who had been monitoring the situation for her. He had pleased her greatly by providing many candid photos of Emma with Ruby. Most of them were innocuous, but there were a few near kisses caught on camera just damning enough that Regina could have used them had the infernal woman not suddenly pulled away from whatever was blossoming between herself and the provocative waitress.

Subsequent events conspired to make Regina forget all about those photos, that is until her own relationship with Ruby progressed into the bedroom. One day about a week or so later, after a hard morning of drudgery that left her with the beginnings of migraine, she had ostensibly dropped by the diner to pick up her lunch. The true reason for the trip was to get a pick-me-up moment of interaction with her new lover. In those early days, just a glimpse of Ruby was enough to create a surge of warmth within her body that dissolved any stresses she'd accrued that day, so she'd been very much looking forward to seeing her.

Upon arriving at the diner, instead of behind the counter as she normally would be, Ruby was seated across from a woman wearing a familiar red leather jacket. She'd been laughing like she hadn't in a long time. As if fate had carried Regina's feet to the diner for the sole purpose of seeing that interaction, Emma then reached out to take Ruby's hand, grasping it tightly as peals of her own mirth rang out.

Seeing Emma there with Ruby in such a way triggered a rush of recollection, and all at once those pictures came back to her like a slide-show solely purposed to cast doubt upon Ruby's fidelity. Frozen in place next to the counter, Regina felt the as-yet-uncured foundation she was building together with Ruby begin to crack.

 _Can it be possible_ , she had thought, _that I was so wrong about her?_

But then Ruby caught a glimpse of Regina standing there, and the happy demeanor she'd been wearing with Emma shifted into something deeper, something altogether more meaningful than anything she had ever directed at the Savior. The smile that soon graced her flawless features lit up the room and quite literally banished the darkness that was threatening to engulf Regina's heart.

When Emma turned to see what Ruby was looking at in such a way, her own features turned affectionate, and she waved Regina over with a welcoming grin. It became clear to Regina at that moment that whatever had been brewing between Ruby and Emma before the Curse broke was over and that she was being illogical and insecure and silly. Being thus reassured of her preeminence in Ruby's life, she was able to relegate Ruby's friendship with Emma to its appropriate place in her mind and move on with life.

Sadly, the job with Sheriff's department stirred up all those old, ugly feelings, and pretty soon, Regina found herself entertaining scenarios in her thoughts that were as heartbreaking as they were wrong. They were wrong because she knew deep down that Ruby loved her and that she would never hurt her in such a way. But then she went on to reason with herself that many people hurt those they love because they got carried away in an innocent situation that simply spiraled out of control. Spontaneous affairs born of proximity began all the time.

It took a lot of restraint for Regina to not act on those insecurities, but she didn't because her concern was ultimately less linked to Ruby than it was to Emma. Sometimes Regina would catch Emma staring at Ruby like she was in awe or as if – aside from Henry – Ruby was the single most precious person on the face of the earth. Such looks made it clear to Regina that the affections Emma had harbored for Ruby remained unresolved. But then the moment would pass, and as if completely ignorant of her own feelings, Emma would be back to her normal self who looked at Hook the way she had been Ruby and at Ruby like she was her best friend.

How the woman had deluded herself so thoroughly was a mystery, but the feat impressed Regina all the same. And so long as the Savior remained in ignorance of those dangerous emotions, she was content to let things play out. Even so, she knew that if something happened to Ruby, Emma would never be the same, and that scared Regina for a whole other reason.

The town needed Emma Swan far beyond her capacity as the Savior. As Sheriff, Emma had done a superlative job and was worthy of the accolades she received and more. Her mere presence in town served as a source of stability the community needed to thrive. People looked up to her, admired her, held her up as the standard by which they should aspire to conduct themselves.

Regina knew that whereas she was the head of Storybrooke, Emma was its beating heart. What would happen then were the Savior to be diminished, even if just a little? It was unfair that so much responsibility had been thrust upon the woman, but unfair or not, Emma needed to stay strong for whatever threat lay around the next corner. For in Storybrooke, there was always one lurking nearby.

But out of everyone present in the hospital room, it was Henry's reaction that scared Regina the most. Having come frightfully close to losing his mother today, he might yet lose the woman he had come to consider as his most trusted friend and confidante. To so young a person, that much psychological trauma in so short a span was nearly impossible to process, and could lead to irreversible damage.

Upon tentatively glancing up from a broad shoulder, Regina found her son's face to be void of all emotion, and much like his biological mother, his were eyes unfocused and glassy as he stared into nothing at all. It was as she feared. He was shutting down, and the very possibility of that happening terrified her. The last thing she wanted was for Henry to turn out like her, an introvert who smothered his feelings deep down inside until they erupted out of in a cataclysmic stream of emotions.

As his mother, she wanted to reach out to him, to help him through this, but she didn't know how. She was just as distraught and close to breaking as he was.

But then a solitary tear streaked down his cheek which betrayed his stoic facade, and Regina was able to breathe once more. Henry would make it, he would survive because he was more in touch with his feelings than she had ever been. He would be able to cry and grieve and hurt for a while before eventually moving on to live out the rest of his long life. But even though his ability to work through what was happening reassured her, it still hurt to know how much he was agonizing over Ruby's fate.

Over the past 3 years, Ruby and Henry had developed a special relationship that no one else was privileged to be included in. Up until Ruby joined the family, Emma was always the cool parent, the one that he joked around and played video games with. Yet even with his biological mother, Henry had been unable to talk freely about certain subjects, and he had never gotten particularly close to Hook, even though the pirate and Emma were as close to married as two people could get without the papers. Regina only knew how closed off her son was to them because she and Emma had discussed his reticence to confide in them on several occasions.

Now, it was certainly true that Ruby was fun, too, because Henry did all those same things with her that he did with his other mother. But in time she had gradually come to mean so much more to him. When pressed about why he would talk to Ruby and not either of his parents, Henry had revealed to Regina that in Ruby he had found a source of advice that he could _objectively_ rely on, someone he could discuss all of his trials and tribulations with without feeling any kind of pressure, no matter who or what they were about. Talking to a parent, he'd then gently explained, came attached with the stress of meeting their expectations as well as a fear of disappointing them. It made sharing certain things too uncomfortable. And while Ruby was a parental figure to some degree, at the same time, she wasn't, which made her the perfect person for him to talk to.

While the explanation was logical, Regina's initial instinct was to be jealous of Ruby. But when she thought about it more, she realized she was being childish to begrudge Henry so sturdy a safety net that would always catch him when he felt like letting go of his troubles. Ruby was a good woman who was as trustworthy as anyone Regina had ever known, and she loved Henry like he was her own. Regina knew her son was in capable hands with her partner.

So even though Regina could not lie as to how much it had stung that Henry chose to share so openly with someone else instead of her, she learned to cherish the bond her son shared with the love of her life. It was special, and something worth preserving.

"I wish there _was_ something that could be done," Rumple then spoke, breaking the mournful silence to echo truths Regina was well aware of and which were at the source of her sorrow. "But the laws of magic are intractable and harsh. They will not be broken for anyone, not even for me and not even for you, dearie." But then his eyes returned to Regina's, and in them she found no pity or sorrow, but the same familiar, burning fire that so often fueled her own actions. "But that does not mean you have to accept its decrees. You are living proof of that. I know it's terribly cliche, but in this instance I believe Snow White's mantra to be something worth repeating: there is always hope."

Though it was terribly hard to swallow, Regina realized that Rumplestiltskin was right. Yes, she had learned something truly terrible: Ruby was essentially condemned to death because of the magical life they had created together. There was nothing she could do to prevent that. Magic demanded its price be paid and it would not be put off or bypassed in any way. It was an inevitable fact that made Regina want to curl in on herself and die, but she couldn't afford to do so, not with so much on line.

Even if Ruby's death was inevitable, she was not excused or precluded from acting to save the woman she loved more than her own life. Because of what they shared, because of the amazing life they had built together, she owed it to Ruby to try no matter the outcome. Furthermore, whether she succeeded or not was completely inconsequential in the decision making process when considering that she would never be able to forgive herself if she didn't utterly expend herself in the effort.

With her course determined, Regina carefully removed her iv and the pads that connected to the various monitors collecting her vitals. Ignoring the protestations of those in the room, she swung her legs out of the bed and placed her bare feet onto the cold tiles of the room. A chill shot through her, but much to the increased dismay of the others, she stood and tentatively placed her weight onto her legs. Once she was relatively certain she would not collapse, she fixed her eyes on everyone in turn, straightened up, and then snapped her fingers to magic herself into one of her favorite ensembles, a powder blue blouse atop a black pencil skirt.

Satisfied at her appearance, she began to take a step forward but she faltered. Suddenly unsteady, she swayed briefly in place before Snow's hand grasped her arm to steady her.

"No, Regina, you're too weak," the smaller woman said, attempting to guide Regina back down to the bed.

Regina pushed back against Snow, batting her hands away. "Get off of me! I'm not a child to be coddled as you once were!"

Snow glared at her stubbornly, ignoring the barb. "You're right. You're not a child, but a stubborn ass who doesn't know how to accept help! You're in no shape to be going off on some half-baked rescue mission, Regina. You're only going to get yourself killed. Let David and Emma handle this."

"They're right, Sis," Zelena spoke up. "If you go off after Ruby like this, you're not going to do either of you any good."

"I'm with them, Regina," Emma added. "I know I'm not Ruby, but I'm good at my job, so just give me a chance to do it."

Seeing only sincerity in Emma's face, Regina did not doubt that the Sheriff possessed the skill to find Ruby, it was her calling after all, but she also knew that waiting on Emma to conduct a search was not an option. She could not explain why, but she instinctively knew that she did not have that kind of time.

As soon as Rumple had dropped his bombshell, her gut had immediately started screaming at her that Ruby was in trouble and that she needed Regina to act without delay. The tug of that call was so powerful that it had almost felt as if Ruby's spirit were calling to her, reaching out for her from wherever she was and Regina felt she had no choice but to answer it.

"I can't sit here and wait, Emma," she replied, straightening herself once again. "I can't explain it, but I know that Ruby needs me right now. Deep down inside I think you know that, don't you?" When Emma winced, Regina nodded. "That feeling is telling you – telling me – that there is no time to waste. I'm going after her, and while I know you possess the power to, you lack the will to stop me."

When Emma's expression shifted into one of stricken sorrow, her eyes flooded with tears and she ducked her head to avoid Regina's gaze. Regina knew then that Emma would not resist her.

"Our dear Savior may not, but I do," Zelena said, standing and crossing the room to look Regina in the eye. Her blue eyes were imploring Regina to stand down. "Listen to reason, Regina."

"I'm done listening," Regina countered, feeling more compelled by the second to get to Ruby no matter the cost. "I have to act. Now. I wish I could tell you why I feel this way but I cant, so this is one time when I need for you to trust me. After all we've been through to get here, can't you do that for me?"

Sighing, Zelena nodded and reached out to smooth a hand down Regina's arm. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Regina reached up and patted her sister's hand affectionately. "No, you don't."

"But Regina, what about the baby?" Snow then reasoned from beside Zelena. "You can't just think about yourself anymore."

"Don't you think I know that?" Regina shouted in frustration. "I'm well aware of the fact that I have my baby's life to consider. But there is another part of me growing inside of Ruby, too, and I _have_ to do something to save them both!"

Regina's eyes welled up with tears and she knew her face was completely betraying the fragile state of her emotions.

"Don't you get it?! If Ruby dies, that child will die with her, and I will fall apart at the seams. I will be irreparably broken. That most resilient heart that my sister here so desired will fold in on itself, leaving only the black mass of a void in its place."

Regina felt Zelena's hand slide from her arm at the mention of that past transgression. It made her feel a little guilty to use that incident to get her point across but she needed to be blunt in order to have the greatest effect, which Zelena seemed to understand judging by the lack of affront she was displaying.

"Please don't say that, Mom," Henry begged from the other side of the bed, his face betraying his anguish. "You're the strongest person I know. You can make it through anything!"

Turning to her son, Regina could see how afraid he was. His broken expression made her heart ache. She hated that she was making him feel so despondent, but she loved him far too much to lie to him now. She owed it to him to explain herself so that he could understand why she could not afford to let Ruby go. Letting her absolute love for him shine through, she spoke with great care.

"Henry, you're a young man now," she said. "You're almost grown. I am your mother and I know you'll always want me in your life, but the fact is, you don't truly _need_ me anymore."

Henry began to protest, but Regina stopped him by rushing unsteadily around the bed as fast as she was able. When she reached him, she gathered him up in her arms. He melted into her embrace, resting his head on her shoulder and shuddering.

"I do need you, Mom," he whispered miserably. "I'll always need you. You're my mom and I love you."

"Oh, my precious boy," she answered with a choked voice, running her hands lovingly through his messy brown hair. "I know that you love me, I do. And I love you, too: so very, very much. But it's not like it was when you were a baby. You truly do have more family now than you know what to do with. And slowly but surely, I've learned to cope without your constant presence in the house."

Pulling away from him, she grasped his face in her hands, looking up into his big beautiful eyes.

"I'm not telling you this to make you feel insignificant or guilty, because you are neither. You are my son. You changed my life for the better. I wouldn't be the woman I am today without you, Henry. And if it were you out there, I would be doing the very same thing. But I need you to understand: I need Ruby. I _need_ her. If I'm going to be a mother again, I need her beside me. I don't want to do this without her. That's why I have to go."

Henry nodded into her hands sadly. "I hate this, but I think I understand. I can't stop you just like I couldn't stop Ruby. I could ask you not to go but I won't because I know that you don't ever do anything drastic unless you feel it's absolutely necessary. I trust you, Mom, but that doesn't mean I'm not scared for you. So, please be careful. I know you think I don't, but I _do_ still need you. I always will."

Standing up on her tiptoes, Regina gave Henry's forehead a gentle, lingering kiss. Words could never express just how much she loved him but she hoped he could feel it in her kiss and see it in her face. Their foreheads resting together, echoing brown eyes met.

"Thank you for understanding, sweetheart," Regina whispered. "I promise, I will be careful. I won't allow this to be goodbye."

Henry nodded, embracing his mother once again. For a moment, Regina permitted herself the freedom to revel in the open affection.

"Well, I don't understand," Snow said dejectedly from across the room. "Why _are_ you doing this, Regina? I know you love Ruby, but would she really want you to put your life and your baby's life – her baby's life – at risk?"

Pulling away from Henry, Regina crossed the room to stand in front of her diminutive former step-daughter.

"Didn't you hear anything I just said?" she sighed in exasperation. "I have no choice! I know Ruby wouldn't want me risking my life but she's not here at the moment to protest is she? She's out there somewhere, alone and in pain. I can _feel_ it in my bones and it is _killing_ me. So, I can't allow what Ruby or anyone else might think to dictate my actions.

"Right now, all I need to know is that I can't lose her. I...cannot...lose her, Snow. I just couldn't take it. Besides, you heard what Rumple said. If we don't intervene somehow, she is going to have to pay the same price that I paid. If I don't act now, Ruby _will_ die. Is that what you want?"

Regina paused, allowing her words to register with Snow, who seemed to finally be coming to terms with what she had been trying to explain to Henry.

"No, of course not," Snow eventually replied, eyes wide with distress. "I just don't want to lose you both, Regina. You can't deny that it's a distinct possibility."

Regina shook her head and sighed. "No, I can't. It may indeed come to that. But you have to realize my life may very well be on the line, too. There is a chance, however, small, that losing Ruby will break me. If that should happen, as much as it pains me, I don't know that anyone could bring me back out of the abyss I would fall into."

"Even me?" Henry asked in a small voice, having come to stand beside her.

"I don't know, and that's why I can't afford to take the chance," Regina answered her son truthfully, allowing her face to reveal just how much it was distressing her to hurt him like she was. "But no matter what happens, know that I love you and that you are my heart as well. If it were in my power to spare you this pain, I would. But I have to do this, Henry, and in order to do it, I need you to stay here with your grandfather. I need for you to be safe so that I can be focused. I can't do what needs to be done if I'm worried about you."

Glancing up at Rumple, Regina saw him nod in understanding, a promise that he would watch over Henry on her behalf. Where his grandson was concerned, Regina was willing to believe him.

"But, Mom," he began to protest.

"No buts, Henry," she interrupted sternly. "I know you're practically an adult now, but you're still my son and I'm still your mother. So just do this for me, okay? Please?"

Henry sighed in acquiescence. "Alright, Mom. But remember your promise. I want to see both you and Ruby walk back through the front door at home, alive and well."

"Of course, sweetheart. I will remember," Regina nodded, smiling warmly at him before kissing his cheek. "But you have to promise to stay positive for me, Henry. For once in your life, I'm giving you permission to embrace your Charming genes." Smiling up at him encouragingly, Regina watched a hesitant grin form on his lips. "That's my boy."

"I wish you would reconsider," Snow then said, her resigned expression indicating she had mostly given up on fighting Regina's will. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Regina's posture softened along with eyes. "I'll be okay," she reassured, and not only for Snow, but for everyone in the room who cared about her. "You have to trust in that. Have hope like you always do." Pausing, she grasped Snow by the shoulder. "I will be okay, and so will Ruby. _Our_ family will be okay."

Snow buoyed a bit at her inclusion in Regina's perception of family, and Regina could not deny that it made her feel good. Confident that everyone understood her motives even should they not accept them, she marched with determination to the door but stopped short to regard Snow, Emma, and David. She had been prepared to go after Ruby on her own, but thought better of it.

Prideful as she was and had her magic been at its full power, Regina would not have bothered to leave an option open for anyone to help her. Snow was right about that. But as it was, she was weakened by her injuries, healed though they were, and seeing as her body had utilized a great deal of her reserves to protect her baby she would be unable to wield the full capacity of her powers. As such, it was prudent to have backup.

"Now, I'm leaving," she declared from the doorway, and then proceeded to offer the Charming family their options. "The three of you have a choice: you can come with me or you can stay out of my way, whichever is preferable to you. Either way, I am going after Ruby. So what will it be?"

Snow wasted no time in joining Regina, and as she crossed the short distance between them, her demeanor transformed into that of the stubbornly confident warrior and survivor that had served her so well in the Enchanted Forest.

She gave Regina a crooked smile. "I think you know the answer to that question."

David nodded firmly in agreement as he fell in beside his wife, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Count me in."

"I think this is the mother of all bad ideas, but I'm with you, too," Emma then said firmly.

"Very well," Regina semi-smiled as Emma joined them. Looking to her son one last time, Regina took in every detail about him, from his tall stature, to his brown hair and rapidly maturing face. Her boy was growing up and Regina was so very proud of him. Henry was her greatest accomplishment. "Keep your grandfather out of trouble, will you Henry?" Briefly flitting her eyes up at Rumple, Regina saw him smirk. She was not about to give him the satisfaction of reacting.

At the request from his mother, Henry shuffled around a bit before giving her a halfhearted smile and replying, "Sure thing."

"And what of me? Am I to be left out of this daring little rescue attempt? Don't you trust me, Regina?" Zelena asked, looking uncharacteristically small for her height. When Regina offered her hand with a weighted expression, Zelena took it.

"Of course I trust you," replied Regina, meaning it. Trustworthiness had nothing to do with why she wanted Zelena to remain behind, at least not as far as her tempestuous sister was concerned. No, it was Rumple that Regina didn't trust. "That's why I need you to stay here with Henry and Rumple." Seeing both Zelena and Rumplestiltskin start to protest, Regina cut them off. "Save it! I know there is...something between you two that is unresolved, but I'm asking you both to forget it just this once. I _need_ for Henry to be safe. With you and his grandfather watching over him, I'll feel comfortable enough to not worry about him."

For a long moment, it appeared to Regina that Zelena would outright refuse being sidelined when someone she cared about was in danger. But then she took a deep, prolonged breath and let it out in a rush. "Oh, alright. I suppose just this once I can make an exception. But only for you, Ruby, and your little love puppies...and of course for my favorite nephew."

"I'm your only nephew," Henry replied, a bit less sad than he was a moment before, which helped more than a little to relax Regina's nerves.

"Too true," Zelena grinned. She then leveled a glare at Regina. "Still, as Henry stated so sagely, I expect you to be careful." She then turned her eyes on the Charming family, giving them similar looks. "And you lot, keep an eye on my sister. I don't fancy losing her after putting so much time and effort into her."

It was a backhanded way of Zelena expressing how much she would miss her sister if something happened to her and of how much of her heart she had truly invested into their relationship. Even so, it meant a lot to Regina, more than she could really say.

"Thanks, _S_ _is_ ," was Regina's playfully snarky reply, at which Zelena grinned and winked conspiratorially.

Still smiling, Regina looked at her former mentor, her smile fading upon seeing his sour expression. "What about you, Rumple? Can I trust you to set aside your personal grudge with my sister for Henry's sake."

Nodding tersely, he said, "For Henry's sake."

"Alright then," Regina said, turning to the door where the Charming brood was waiting for her. "Let's go. Time is wasting."

And with that, she headed out into the hallway with only one thought running through her mind: "Just hold on a little while longer, my love. I'm coming for you."

Ignoring the latent pain from her injury, Regina wasted no time in tearing a path through the hospital, and she only stopped for a brief moment to gather herself once she was clear of the front doors. Being almost 11 pm, it was dark outside aside from the artificial orange-tinged hues of the street lights and the pale, gleaming light of the nearly full moon.

Waiting under the normally welcome moonlight, she considered what might soon happen. The best possible outcome would be finding Ruby alive and well, but realistically Regina knew that such an outcome was unlikely, especially given Joshua's apparent madness and the fact that it had been at least seven hours since Ruby had been seen or heard from. The odds were not good.

She took in several deep, preparatory breaths and then concentrated on summoning up her available stores of magic. With no way to anticipate what she would encounter once she found Ruby, she wanted to be ready for the worst. Although she hoped it would not come to that, she somehow knew she would be requiring her magic before the night was through.

Not many seconds later, the doors of the hospital burst open at Regina's rear as Emma, Snow, and David soon followed her outside. They gathered in front of her to await instructions. She saw by their attire that they stopped long enough to collect their coats and gloves, but even with them, everyone was huddled together to keep warm. This close to midnight, it had turned bitterly cold.

"So, how exactly are we going to track Ruby?" Emma asked as she bounced on the heels of her feet, trying to work up some warmth via movement. From behind her, the large moon cast a muted light over her so as to give her golden hair the appearance that it was glowing. "From the way you lit out of here, I'm guessing we don't have much time and we don't exactly have ready access to another werewolf besides Granny, and no offense, but I think she's beyond her tracking days."

"We don't need Granny or any other method of tracking Ruby, Miss Swan," Regina explained, snapping her fingers to magically summon her phone into her hand. Her blood still stained the screen from where she had operated it earlier to call for help. With another snap of her fingers, the phone was in pristine condition once again.

After unlocking it, Regina sifted through the apps until she found the one she was looking for and then loaded it.

"After she started her job at the station, I began having irrational suspicions that Ruby was having an affair," she explained as she carried out her task. She purposefully neglected revealing that Emma was the party with whom she had thought Ruby complicit. "When I confronted her, she very convincingly explained that they were completely unfounded. But of course, as you all know, I tend to be paranoid where those I love are concerned, so I installed a tracker app on her phone."

By the time she finished explaining exactly how they were going to find Ruby, the app had loaded and Regina had pinpointed the last known location of Ruby's phone. She held up the phone so that everyone could see the blinking red dot on the screen.

"And there she is," Regina stated, sporting a victorious smirk. "Her phone is pinging at a location on Burkhardt Avenue, which is 5 blocks west of our house."

"Well, Regina, I never thought I'd say this, but thank God for your cynical nature," David commented with a lopsided smirk.

Regina almost grinned. Almost. "You'd do well to remember that the next time you complain about my inquiries into some of your more creative requisitions for the Station."

"Great, we know where Ruby is, but how are we going to get there?" Emma then asked, having commenced shifting her weight from foot to foot in a continued effort to ward off the biting cold. "I'm guessing we'll be utilizing more conventional means, since I assume you're going to want to preserve your magic in your condition."

"Correct," Regina succinctly replied. "And I would prefer you do the same."

"So, are we driving separately or pooling or what?"

"I'll ride with your Dad," Snow answered her daughter. "Why don't you and Regina take the bug and meet us there. What's the exact address?"

Regina wanted to protest at being expected to ride in Emma's sad excuse for a motor vehicle, but there was no time for such petty squabbling. She had to remain focused. Agreeing, she told Snow the address.

"Alright, we'll meet you there," David said, ushering Snow toward his truck.

For a second, Emma watched them depart as if still amazed even after all these years that her parents were Snow White and Prince Charming. Regina tugged impatiently on her sleeve to break her reverie.

"Let's go, Emma. Time is wasting."

Emma nodded absently. "Alright, sure."

Regina pulled her coat tight around herself as she followed Emma to her Beetle. It was parked only about 50 yards away, so it didn't take them more than a minute or two to reach it. Once they got to the yellow Volkswagen, Emma gestured for Regina to get in.

After opening the passenger side door, Regina slid carefully into the worn, faded seats. Although she was sore and a little weak physically, she was still relatively certain that she was strong enough to face Joshua.

Whilst he'd been attacking her, she had felt no magic about him or in him. Even under such stressful circumstances, Regina was sure that if Joshua had possessed any form of magic, she would have been able to discern it; she had always been very adept at sensing fellow practitioners at such proximity. Thus considering he was a normal person, she couldn't imagine a scenario in which he would be able to overcome her. But it never hurt to be prepared.

Once they were both seated and strapped in, Emma started up the bug and then maneuvered it out of the hospital parking lot. Soon enough they were on the road and on their way toward Ruby. Regina glanced over at Emma. The Savior's entire form was tense and her jaw was clenched tightly. Her green eyes were hard to read fixed intently on the road as they were, and it made Regina aware of just how close Emma was to losing her cool as well. Uncertain whether Emma's edginess was due to anticipation of the upcoming confrontation or concern for Ruby's welfare, Regina chose not to comment; she had her own feelings of trepidation to deal with.

As Emma drove along in silence, Regina allowed her head to rest against the window, closing her eyes in order to calm her thoughts. She knew the best way to do so was to focus on her motive, and so she immediately conjured up a memory of Ruby. Strangely enough, her brain chose to access a time in which Ruby managed to surprise, embarrass, and touch her heart in a place no one ever had all at once.

After much begging on Ruby's part, Regina had relented to visit the Rabbit Hole for drinks on Jazz Night, which just so happened to land on their six month anniversary. Regina had wanted to stay in and cook for them both, but as happened far too often for her liking, she had been waylaid into going by pleading green eyes and pouty lips.

Of course, Ruby swore up and down that she wouldn't regret it, that Jefferson – the club's new owner – had classed up the joint a bit and turned Jazz Night into something special. According to Ruby, couples all over town flocked to the weekly event to share in the sultry music that promoted closeness and intimacy between them. Regina didn't bother to ask who Ruby had been visiting the one-time skeevy establishment with to know all of that. She hadn't wanted to cause an argument.

Upon arriving, Regina was pleasantly surprised to find Jefferson had indeed done a fine job of remodeling the place into something more classy. Gone were the rows of cheap beers and liquors lining the display behind the bar, replaced by a selection of fine wines and high end spirits that Regina wholly approved of. _Jefferson's taste_ , she thought, _had certainly improved since his trip to Wonderland_. It was as if stepping through the threshold of the bar had transported her to a respectable yet artistically biased establishment during the 1940's, as the only thing indicative of the modern era was the dress of the patrons inside, and even some of them were wearing throwback clothes that only added to the effectiveness of the décor. She was visibly impressed.

Once seated, they ordered their drinks and then settled into a nice conversation before Jefferson took the stage about ten minutes later. Regina had never seen the man dressed so impeccably. With his his sleek blue suit accented by a matching tie and his hair slicked and tastefully parted, he looked very debonair and handsome, fitting right in with the atmosphere he had cultivated in his club. After announcing that there would be three acts that night – the last of which was, as he put it, 'everyone's favorite rose' – he introduced the first and departed the stage.

Taking his place under the soft, amber light was a four-piece ensemble consisting of an electric guitarist, piano player, and a double bass player complemented by a drummer who had as many tattoos as teeth, which was to say, many. Regina was not a particular fan of jazz, but the skill of the musicians was so supreme and their playing so emotive that she found herself quickly immersed. So engrossed was she that when Ruby shifted her chair closer so that they could hold hands, she did not protest at all.

All too soon the band was bidding adieu and taking their bows, and the next act was taking the stage. Featuring a saxophone, piano, guitar, and drums, the second band was headlined by an older gentleman named Remus who was also a trumpeter. Their first piece was of a meandering rhythm that had influenced Ruby to sway her upper torso along with it. When Remus began to sing, his voice was so rich and smooth and transcendent that it lifted Regina away, conveying her far beyond her cares to a place where the remarkable beauty of living was all that mattered. As he went on to sing about lost love, she felt his pain, and when he sang of the joys of a bright summer's day, she felt lighter than air. It was an incredible experience. At last, she began to understand the appeal of coming to a live performance, and told Ruby as much, which delighted her musically-inclined girlfriend to no end.

But then as Remus transitioned into a trumpet-based rendition of " _What a Wonderful World_ " – and he played the melodic brass instrument every bit as soulfully as he sang – Ruby excused herself from the table with a funny look that had Regina half worried and half curious. When ten minutes passed without Ruby returning, she began to grow concerned that perhaps her girlfriend was sick and needed to go home, but before she could get up to check the bathrooms, Remus and his band – the Song of the South – were taking their bows and exiting the stage.

Jefferson soon appeared, still looking dapper and now exquisitely pleased, a wide smile on his face as he took the mic. "And now for our main attraction," he said with a flourish. "Our very own White Rose – the woman whose voice you all came to hear. Please give a very warm welcome to Ms. Ruby Lucas!"

The crowd went bonkers with applause as Regina sat back in bewilderment. _Ruby?_ Her heart hammered in her chest. _My Ruby?_ Her internalized question was soon answered as _her_ Ruby waltzed onto the stage in an elegant white silken gown with thick embroidered straps and a hemline that dragged upon the wooden floors. Her hair was arranged into an intricate up-do with a single white rose laced into it above her right ear, explaining the moniker that had been bestowed upon her. She was a vision of grace and beauty that simply took Regina's breath away.

After taking the mic from Jefferson, who surprised Regina once again by crossing over to the piano, Ruby faced the crowd with a demure smile.

"Good evening, everyone," she said as her eyes took in her adoring fans, who greeted her enthusiastically. "I hope you all enjoyed tonight as much as I did. I'm constantly awed by the skill of my fellow artists. So, let's give them all another round of applause, I think they deserve it!" When the crowd gave a whoop of approval and applause at the preceding acts, Ruby joined in, smiling infectiously. In the back, the band members of the aforementioned acts stood up for another bow.

Regina for her part sat motionless, too stunned to do anything but gawk. When the praise of the crowd died down after a minute, Ruby turned to Jefferson and gestured toward him.

"Before I start, I want to thank my good friend Jefferson for being my pianist tonight." Again the crowd applauded and Jefferson bowed his head graciously. Ruby gave him a wry smile. "I sprung this on him at the last minute," she said, "so I hope he doesn't kill me." When Jefferson raised his eyebrows jokingly as if it were a possibility, Ruby laughed. She then turned back to face the crowd, and when she did, her demeanor shifted to seem pleasantly wistful. "But I think he'll forgive me because tonight is a very special night. Six months ago today my life changed forever, and so much for the better, when a certain someone walked into my Granny's diner looking so sad that my heart broke for her."

At that, Ruby turned her eyes on Regina, so open and full of adoration that Regina felt her entire body suffuse with the most delicious warmth.

"She doesn't know this," Ruby continued, her eyes writing love notes that only Regina could read, "but I dabble from time to time composing songs. I got to thinking about this little anniversary and this one just came to me. I knew it was the perfect one for tonight, the one that said what I need to say to my special someone to let her know how I feel and so that she'll never doubt just how vital she is to my life and my happiness."

Despite being embarrassed at the eyes that turned onto her because of Ruby's attentive stare and romantic speech, Regina knew it to be a moment that would never come around again. That night would be one she could look back on when she was old and gray as proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd been loved enough for somebody to do something so wonderful just for her. And because that someone was Ruby, it meant even more.

"I know she'll probably be mad at me for putting her in the spotlight like this," Ruby then said, looking a bit apologetic. Regina gave her a smile to let her know that she was okay with her gesture, that she understood where it was coming from and would tolerate it this once. Ruby beamed. "Hopefully the song will speak for itself as to why I felt I had to do this." She shifted, ducked her head and then cleared her throat. Looking up at Regina through her eyelashes, she then said, "Anyway, this is for you, baby, and I hope that you and everyone else here tonight enjoy it."

Glancing back at Jefferson, she nodded for him to begin, and after lifting his fingers to the keyboard, he began to play. The tune he produced was soft and catchy with an almost lethargic rhythm that reminded Regina of the smooth waves of a docile ocean tide. It wrapped her up in its arms and then swept her out into a sea of gently rolling emotion.

" _Baby, I love you_ ," began the first verse, and with typical jazz inflection. Ruby's expressive gaze never once left Regina's as she exposed her heart in song, " _just the way you are_ , _from the way you move your lips_ _down to_ _your little scar._ _You_ _give_ _n_ _me_ _the_ _faith_ _to believe_ _,_ _'cause you're the perfect person for me_."

Without pause, she rolled into the second verse, " _Baby, I love you,_ _and n_ _ot a little bit, but with every breath I take and not a'one regret. You_ _'ve_ _shine_ _d_ _a light inside_ _of_ _my soul, and piece by piece you're makin_ _'_ _me whole._ "

By the time Ruby reached the bridge, Regina had felt like crying. The only reason she held her tears at bay was because she refused to show such weakness in a public setting with so many strangers present. As the mayor, she had a reputation to protect and an image to uphold. Weeping as her paramour serenaded her where the constituency could bear witness was a certified way of damaging both irreparably. That hadn't meant she didn't want to though. It took every ounce of strength she had to keep from blubbering like a fool.

As a little girl, her mother had once taken her to a dance performance much like ballet in this world. The expressed purpose behind it was to study their discipline and impeccable form – an example meant to instill in Regina an appreciation of hard work and dedication. The lesson had backfired in quite a spectacular fashion. Instead of accomplishing her mother's purpose, Regina came away from that performance with stars in her eyes and dreams blossoming in her heart of hearts of becoming a dancer.

In the months that followed, whenever her mother wasn't watching she would twirl about the house, practicing her pirouette to an imaginary audience. Prominent amongst them was always her mother, who would be sitting in the crowd enraptured by the performance, pride and joy abundantly spread across her features as her daughter effortlessly danced the complicated and difficult routines only the best troupes specialize in. Oh, how she used to wish that it would come to pass. Regina was to be disappointed in her wish, but it was an illustration of just how desperate she was for her mother to show her any kind of affection that was verifiable by witnesses.

Though Regina knew her mother loved her in her own way, Cora was a cold woman at the best of times and downright mean when she wanted to be. Not once in all the years Regina could recall did her mother spare the rod when she made a mistake, and never had the stern disciplinarian given a compliment that did not sound like an insult. A childhood barren of a mother's love went a long way toward explaining why Regina had fallen in love with the first boy who showed her any genuine attention. That it was a boy as lovely as Daniel was a stroke of luck that Regina had to pay for later, and pay she had in the worst way imaginable.

As Queen, Regina was showered with attention, but it was never from the heart like she wanted it to be. While Leopold was alive, the people had loved her the same way children loved ponies and collectors loved dolls; she was something pretty and desirable to be taken out of her display and be lavished upon for a time, but then put away out of sight again when tired of. She was never the woman people were willing to devote time and energy into so that they could know her as a human being. After the king 'died', Regina was again shown adulation by her subjects, but it was emptier than ever before, for it sprang from their fear of her.

But the way Ruby had sang to her that night was a realization of Regina's childhood dream. It was the first time in her life she had ever been loved so loudly without ulterior motives or so intently by someone who knew her in ways no one else did yet loved her anyway. Ruby was proud to love Regina, proud to be seen with her, proud to belong to her, and it had been evident in the way her eyes never left Regina's face for the entire duration of the song.

That Ruby had taken the time to write an actual song dedicated solely to broadcasting her devotion only amplified the effectiveness of her efforts. People like Ruby did not create art for subjects of whimsy, were not stirred up to expend their efforts in immortalizing transient passions. The song was a declaration of commitment, it was a lyrical promise that she'd meant with every fiber of her being, and because of that, it was a gift that Regina would treasure for the rest of her life.

" _Sometimes I_ _wonder,_ " the bridge then picked up, " _why you love me so._ _B_ _ut_ _I've found_ _your eyes_ _will tell me all_ _I need to know. A_ _nd_ _even when we're_ _so far_ _apart, you're always_ _there_ _with me in my heart_."

At that point even Ruby was not unaffected. A lonely tear had slid loose from her lids to streak down her face as she sang the last stanza. " _Baby, I love you, with everything I got._ _Every part of me is yours, although_ _its not a lot._ _And_ _if ever there's a doubt as to why, just know_ _I'm yours until the day that I die._ _Oh, y_ _es, I_ _a_ _m yours until the day that I die._ " With the last repetition, the rhythm slowed for emphasis. " _Baby_ , _I'm yours until the day that I die._ "

Ruby went on to sing several other songs, but none left so indelible an imprint on Regina as the first. That night when they were back home and alone at last, Regina made love to her amazing partner like it was the first time and the last time all rolled into one. They fell asleep hours later tangled together, sated and content, and Regina had never been so happy.

Whimpering inaudibly at the turn of events that had lead her into so desperate a situation, she would have gladly traded almost anything to be back there now. A warm bed and Ruby's pliant, familiar body held snugly in her arms was vastly preferable to riding in Emma's God-forsaken rust bucket while on the way to rescue Ruby from whatever mess she had gotten herself into.

Just once, Regina wished that things would work out for her without having to traverse obstacles meant rip her to shreds rather than merely to trip her up. But with the way things had been going over the past half day, she was fairly certain that only more pain awaited her on Burkhardt street. As such, she couldn't help but be haunted by the last words of Ruby's song, and not for the first time Regina prayed with all of her might that today was not that day.

"We're here," Emma suddenly said from the driver's seat, indicating with her hand to the house they were parked beside.

Regina had been so engrossed in the memory that she hadn't even noticed the car had stopped. Through the front windshield of the bug she could see that David and Snow had already arrived and were standing side by side next to his classic Ford pick-up. Opening her door, Regina slid carefully out of the tiny vehicle Emma so lovingly doted upon.

"What's our approach?" David asked as she came to stand with him and Snow, Emma hovering right behind her.

Regina did not answer. Instead, she merely turned to stride up to the porch with purposeful steps. Without any warning whatsoever, she then blew the front door off its hinges with a blast of magic.

"So much for subtlety," Emma said with dripping sarcasm from behind her right shoulder.

"I prefer the direct approach," Regina shot back, smiling wickedly at the group of people behind her. "Are you coming or what?"

When she saw the three Charmings begin to move after her, Regina entered the house. She was immediately met by a terrible stench. Regina had spilled enough blood in her lifetime to recognize its coppery smell, but there were other, more ghastly scents emanating from somewhere within the house. Her gut twisted as fear manifested itself, threatening her precious self-control. If this was the house Ruby was in, such foul odors did not bode well at all.

Steeling herself, Regina pushed forward, magic at the ready. Looking around the living room, she saw no signs of a struggle. After carefully making her way through the neatly arranged space, she made her way down the hall. Behind her, Snow, David, and Emma followed, the latter two with guns drawn and pointed ahead of them, eyes down the sights as they had been trained.

Seeing an open door in the hallway, Regina carefully worked her way there. As she drew closer, she began to hear a voice, growing steadily louder and louder the closer she got to the opened door. Once she stood at the threshold, she noticed stairs descending into a basement, from which Regina could clearly hear a male voice state: " _So, l_ _et justice be done: for Peter, for Janine, for Paul, for Nora, for mama, for papa, and for me._ "

The names the voice called out immediately registered in her brain. There was no doubting now that she was in the right house. But when the words replayed in her mind a split second later, she blanched in recognition. The words that had been spoken were indicative of someone about to execute judgment. Joshua was about to kill Ruby. Without further thought, Regina sprang into action.

Shooting through the opened door leading to the basement, she rushed down the stairs as Snow, David, and Emma followed behind, hot on her heels. She was halfway down when a massive spike of pain slammed into her chest. With a shocked gasp due to the searing agony she felt, Regina fell back into Emma who had been right on her tail.

"Regina!" Emma exclaimed in a harsh whisper, holding Regina up by her arms. "Are you okay?"

Shaking her head, Regina held on for dear life as the pain ramped up to the point she felt she may pass out. But after a few short moments it faded as quickly as it had come on. Drawing a shaky breath, she exhaled slowly. "I'm fine," she then quietly replied as she extricated herself out of Emma's arms.

"You didn't seem fine to me a second ago," Emma retorted.

Knowing that Emma would be stubborn until she was satisfied that everything was, in fact, okay left Regina with little choice but to elaborate. "Once again, I assure you that I am fine. It didn't even feel like my pain. In fact, it felt more like a phantom pain, almost as if it was coming from someone else..."

Regina's eyes widened in horror as she realized the source of said pain. Bolting the rest of the way down the stairs, she reached the bottom in a matter of seconds. Once there she quickly threw open the door in complete disregarding of any potential danger that might be lurking just behind it.

After taking one step through the threshold of the door, she was immediately hit again by the potent, coppery stench of blood, causing her stomach to churn as nausea threatened to overwhelm her. Biting it back with sheer willpower, she rounded the corner of the staircase, which opened up into a cold, dank, and foreboding unfinished basement.

As she turned her eyes over to the far wall, the appalling sight that greeted her was one that would be seared into her brain for the rest of her days.

* * *

 **Notes** : So, yeah. Again, I'm sorry for yet another cliffhanger. The story just turned out that way, relentless with ups and downs and twists. I didn't really plan it that way, but it is what it is. =P I ask that everyone please have patience, I swear that it will all be worth it in the end. Hang with me folks! This story is almost at its climax.

Next week we see Ruby's perspective, and I'll warn everyone in advance, it won't be pretty. Prepare yourselves accordingly.


	16. Defiance Hurts

**Notes** : Notes at the bottom again. And Rebel Maineiac: If I pinky swear that things _are_ going to get better, will you talk to me again? *doe eyed stare* Pwease?

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 15** – Defiance Hurts

When Ruby emerged from the swamp of trauma induced delirium she'd been mired in, she was startled to find herself stripped naked, and despite having been comatose, was awkwardly being held upright. The bare skin of her folded legs was absorbing cold from the concrete floor beneath her, and a chill was in the air. She shivered.

Glancing around the room, Ruby noticed that she was alone in the middle of an unfamiliar basement. A strange feeling of impending doom passed over her as studied her surroundings. The cinder block walls of the basement were damp and slightly molded, and the floor beneath her was dusty as if no one had bothered to clean the area in months – if not longer. The entire area had a very unsanitary appearance, and it made Ruby extra aware of her lack of clothing and the injury she had sustained. In such an environment, infection setting up in her wound was an almost foregone conclusion.

 _Ugh,_ she thought grimly, _can this get any worse?_ It was a bad question to ask herself considering Murphy's Law.

A sudden sharp pain in her wrists wrested her attention away from her bleak situation. Ruby turned her eyes upward to locate the source of her unease. To her dismay, she found her limbs to be secured by a pair of heavy iron manacles clamped around her wrists, and the tension on the chains connecting to them was tight enough to force her arms to stretch above her head at their limits. Blood was beginning to ooze from where the sharp metal bit into her raw skin. The position itself was awkward enough as it was, but the thin lines of crimson liquid trickling down her forearms at a snail's pace only exacerbated her discomfort.

As if her body were lagging behind reality, it took several seconds for the pain she knew she should be feeling to register in her brain. She gave a guttural moan when it hit her all at once. Her left shoulder ached horribly from where she'd been shot, and she could still feel the silver slug embedded into her shoulder; it was now an almost constant source of aggravation. Considering how much it initially hurt, she was more than a little surprised the residual pain was not much more severe. Maybe, she guessed, Joshua had forced some form pain medication down her while she was unconscious. Or perhaps the trauma to her shoulder had damaged the nerves beyond repair. Considering the circumstances, neither thought was encouraging.

Still woozy from her head injury, she found it difficult to concentrate on anything besides her general status of hurting everywhere at once. But as her mind began to clear, fear crept in from the fringes. Alone, naked, in pain, and held captive in the basement of an unhinged man who had every reason to hate her, the gravity of her situation became all too apparent.

Particularly due to her state of undress, she worried for a moment about whether or not Joshua actually hated her enough to rape her, but dismissed the idea outright. It was unfathomable that the thought could even cross his mind, and besides that she felt no physical repercussions that would be evidence of such a gross violation.

However disconnected from reality Joshua had become, he had loved and deeply respected his brother. As a matter of fact, Joshua had idolized Peter and held his brother up as the standard by which all other role models were measured. Ruby could remember being a little smitten by the obvious depths of the younger boy's affection for her boyfriend; it had been rather adorable. Because of that and the not-so-insignificant fact that Peter had loved her, it was just unimaginable to Ruby that Joshua would commit so heinous an act. Joshua hated her, she accepted that, deserved it even, but she still believed that he would respect Peter's memory enough to not go there.

However little comfort she derived from that did not offset the reality that such safety did not apply to any other methods of violence. Joshua had already demonstrated an alarming willingness to hurt her. When he had shot her and then stood menacingly over her, she had seen a look in his eyes that she remembered seeing far too many times during her life in the Enchanted Forest. It was the look of a desperate person for whom almost nothing was beyond limit, reminding her very much of similar expressions she had witness a time or two on Regina's face during her time as the Evil Queen. Ruby was no fool, she knew her situation was grim. Although rape was apparently the only length to which he was unwilling to go, anything else related to inflicting pain upon her was in all likelihood fair game.

There was still an outside chance that Joshua did not intend to kill her, but Ruby rationally figured it was slim at best. He had obviously been planning her abduction for quite some time, so it was only logical that her death was his ultimate goal. The only questions left unresolved were: why was he doing this? and how much pain was he willing to inflict upon her? The thought of the latter gave Ruby additional chills beyond the frigid air of her dank concrete prison.

Injured as she was and unable to shift due to the silver bullet lodged in her shoulder, Ruby realized that if she was not rescued by her friends, Joshua's plans would inevitably come to fruition. Self-rescue in this instance was not an option. For one, she was much weaker outside of her fur even when healthy, so summoning the strength to escape her bonds in her current state was an impossibility. Furthermore, she knew that no matter how loud she screamed, no one would hear her through the 4 inch thick walls of the basement. As it was, she was utterly helpless and her situation bordered on hopeless. The more she thought about how dire her predicament truly was, the more frightened she became, and the more frightened she became, the more she trembled.

Semi-numb from the cold against her flesh, Ruby absently wondered exactly what Joshua had planned for her. As she had taken stock of her surroundings, she had seen a table nearby on which sat several implements which could be utilized to torture her, each of which she imagined would be insufferable. Werewolves tended to attract attention on the battlefield, and it came in the form of arrows and knives and any manner of throwing implement which could pierce flesh or rend hide. As such, she had been wounded many times during her life and was accustomed to enduring pain. But the tools Joshua had at his disposal were meant to inflict a special type of agony that battlefield wounds could not rival.

Nausea threatened to overwhelm her, though whether it was from the stress of Regina's stabbing, her own physical pain, the overwhelming fear of her situation, or all of the above, she could not say. It took a great amount of self-control just to prevent vomiting all over herself. She only summoned the necessary determination to do so because she refused to surrender her dignity.

Ruby jumped sharply when she heard a door slam shut, causing her chains to rattle and echo hauntingly around the room. Adrenaline began to rush as she heard heavy footfalls on the stairs leading down to the basement, dampening her pain to manageable levels.

She held her breath when Joshua appeared around the corner of the stairwell. He grinned with twisted glee upon catching sight of her.

"I'm so glad you're awake," he chirped with a disturbing amount of anticipation.

As Joshua looked at her, he ignored her state of undress, a rare occurrence where the population of Storybrooke was concerned.

During the Curse, all activity tended to cease when the sensuous, hyper-sexual version of herself shed her clothes. Ruby had been with many lovers, men and women alike, and though each individual had a different approach to sex, all took their time to appreciate her body. She could remember that it gave her quite an ego boost to see such unmitigated lust in their eyes, all in spite of her self-described deficiencies.

In some ways – and many people would think her absurd – Ruby was not happy with her body. Women like Regina with their ridiculously well-proportioned figures used to drive Ruby insane with envy. Growing up a tall and gangly thing back in the Enchanted Forest had apparently made an imprint too big for the Curse to overwrite.

Back then when Regina would deign to grace the diner with her presence or Ruby would see her passing by on the street, she used to wish she could trade bodies for one day just to experience life with such luxurious curves. More than once, she'd stared longingly as Regina sashayed across the diner or moved gracefully down the street, whimpering at the almost criminal the way the Mayor's clothes clung to her in all the right places. Those hips and that ass, she'd thought (and still did to be fair), were the gift of the gods to humanity.

Ruby was not as blessed as Regina was in such ways. Long legs and an unusually pretty face was her claim to fame, whereas her slim hips made for less than an ideal hour glass shape and her breasts were smaller than she would have preferred (Regina would tell her she was being silly, that her breasts were perfect just as they were, and that a handful was more than enough for her to enjoy).

Bodies image issues aside, though, she had always made sure to keep her svelte frame toned, which her various lovers appreciated. But Joshua seemed completely unaffected by her nudity, and though his disinterest confirmed her earlier assumptions about his intentions, Ruby was still scared out of her wits. The absolute loathing that consumed his entire countenance was frightening enough without an extra factor to ramp up the terror.

She swallowed heavily, although it was difficult and uncomfortable because of how dry her mouth was. "Joshua, what are you going to do?" she managed to scratch out, trying to remain calm as he stalked over towards her without response. "It's not too late to turn back," she tried to reason, grasping at straws to prevent the nightmarish torture that was sure to commence. "I want to fix this. I'll do whatever I can if you'll just let me!"

His brow furrowed, the beginnings of a mad form of rage in his darkened eyes. "You want to fix this, you say? I don't know what planet you could possibly be from where that is possible. Let me ask you something, Red: can you bring the dead back to life?"

Ruby's head hung in shame and sorrow. She shook her head in the negative, unable to speak for guilt. Unwanted tears began to run down her cheeks. She hated herself for showing weakness in front of Joshua, but reality had set in for her with a terrible finality.

She had known from the moment she regained consciousness that the odds of her survival were low and that Joshua was likely to kill her, but in that moment she realized she had harbored a desperate hope that perhaps he was not. That hope, however tentative it was, had now been obliterated. She bit back the urge to sob.

"That's right," Joshua continued angrily once he stood in front of Ruby. "There is no fixing this. Peter is dead. My family is dead. And they'll stay that way. In a way, I'm glad my brother died so he didn't have to be confronted by the fact that the woman he loved is a bloodthirsty and reprehensible monster."

There was no retort for that. She was a monster. Once she'd told Regina that it wasn't just the wolf that enjoyed killing, and it wasn't. There were times back in the Enchanted Forest that Ruby had hunted down companies of men Regina had sent scouting into the forests she frequented. Sometimes she let one or two of them escape to report back to the Queen, but most of the time she dispatched them all, springing from the shadows with her knife in hand, picking them off one by one until none remained. The experience of such brutality never failed to both excite her and disgust her.

It was those occasions that made her realize Regina could have easily swayed her to leave Snow behind. All it would have required from the Queen to secure her loyalty was a solemn oath to spare Snow's life. With such an unbreakable accord made, Ruby would have pledged herself to Regina for life. The draw of the darkness the Queen so gleefully embraced would have been too much for her to resist for very long. Once she willingly gave in to temptation, she would have submitted wholly to the Queen who'd captured her attention at first glance, killed for her without remorse, worshiped her body and warmed her bed each night, and given every last ounce of her love and devotion.

She was a monster. But that did not mean she'd known that when Peter was still alive.

Looking up at Joshua with watery eyes, Ruby pleaded, "I didn't know, Joshua!" However desperate she was to live, she was unwilling to beg for her life directly. "I didn't mean to kill Peter. I swear! I didn't know what I was because no one told me!"

"That doesn't matter to me," he spat. "Unwittingly or not, you murdered him just the same. You have to pay for what you did, and believe me, you will. I'll make sure of it."

Remembering the gentle young man that Joshua had been once upon a time only heaped more shame on Ruby. However indirectly and unconsciously, she had made him this way. Yet another tally on her long list of victims.

"We both know killing me won't bring him back," she then said in an attempt to reach the young man she had once known. It was a vain effort and she knew it, but she had to try. "Like you said, Peter is dead. But, Joshua, if I could change everything, I would in heartbeat. But I can't! Besides, hurting me won't make you feel any better either."

For a moment Joshua laughed hysterically at her earnest plea, but then without warning reeled back his hand and slapped her with terrific force. Ruby's head jolted to the side as a flare of stinging pain erupted in her cheek. Not long after, hazy clouds began to swirl around in her brain from the concussion of her brain rattling around in her skull. A grunt was then torn from her throat as Joshua then roughly yanked her up by the hair to tentatively stand on wobbly legs.

Again he laughed manically, this time directly in her face. "I disagree. It made me feel pretty damn good, so I can only imagine how great I'll feel once I really get started."

Despite the needles poking a thousand tiny holes in her cheek, Ruby scoffed derisively at Joshua's obvious insanity. "So, what? Are you gonna torture me? Beat me? Prolong my agony? Punish me for my sins? Make me regret ever meeting Peter or ever being born? I hate to tell you, but I've been there, done that, got the t-shirt."

A tremor ran through Ruby's spine at the heartless smile Joshua returned to her.

"Why, yes to all of the above," he said with relish. "I'll savor every moment of it, too. As I said, I've waited a long time for this opportunity, so I plan to enjoy it thoroughly. I owe it to my family to do so."

Ruby studied Joshua's face for a moment, seeing so much more torment and rage than she had ever imagined. It made her wonder at his continual hints as to how she had ruined his life and his family. In a sense, she acknowledged she was indeed responsible for doing so, but was her offense really to such a degree that he would take things so far? She sensed that there was more at play than just Peter's death.

"You keep saying I ruined your life and your family," Ruby said, attempting to carefully select her words in order to draw out information rather than to provoke Joshua further. "I know what I did to Peter and how it must have hurt. But what happened to _you_ , Joshua? I know it's not just Peter's death that's driving you right now. I always cared about you, so what happened to make you so angry?"

"Please," he scoffed. "If you had cared, you wouldn't have run away with your tail tucked between your legs."

"What was I supposed to do, huh?" she asked, voice raised in frustration. "I heard the posse forming to hunt me down. Was I supposed to just turn myself in to be subjected to who knows what kind of humiliation? Was I just supposed to trust that a mob of frightened, angry people would see sense enough to realize I had no control over my actions? We both know where that would have landed me: in an unmarked grave on the outskirts of the village. I was afraid, Joshua. I was afraid and I wasn't ready to die."

A blank, emotionless expression overtook Joshua's countenance. He studied Ruby as if contemplating whether to respond to her inquiry or not. Then he shrugged. "Peter wasn't ready to die, either, Red," he countered. "But since your pathetic excuses don't matter to me anymore, I suppose I'll humor you this once."

Ruby could tell by the chilly nature of his voice, devoid as it was of any hints of compassion, that what he was about to tell her changed nothing. He was merely toying with her emotions to give her false hope so that he could then yank it away from her, further breaking her spirit. She defiantly refused to let him.

"After you mercilessly slaughtered my brother," he continued, making no note of her subtle wince at his description, "there was no one but me left to help Papa run the lumber mill. I tried to fill Peter's shoes but I just couldn't. To pick up the slack and deal with the pain, Papa worked himself twice as hard. But without Peter, production lagged too far behind. He had to take out a loan against the mill and we lost it 6 months later. He hung himself from the rafters the day the lenders came to repossess it."

Shifting his stance, Joshua's face grew slack, his eyes losing focus like he was being drawn back into a time when his life was falling apart. Ruby hurt for him in spite of his ghastly actions, especially since she indirectly bore much of the blame for what she was hearing.

"Mama got sick the next winter," he continued impassively. "I guess she didn't want to live anymore. She didn't even try to get better, she just gave up."

It astonished Ruby at first that he could be so detached talking about such tragedies, but she supposed not all people coped the way she did. Ruby redirected her pain into productive outlets like expending herself year after year for Snow's sake. Putting the needs of others before her own helped her to forget all the trauma her past contained. But it seemed Joshua had chosen to lock his own pain away in a place that could not contain them forever, and perhaps that explained why he had snapped.

Though she was loathe to make the comparison, in that way Ruby thought him much like Regina, whose proclivity to stuff her feelings down inside led to her becoming the Evil Queen. The corrosive nature of her grief and rage had ate away at the barrier protecting her goodness, coating it in a thick layer of rust, causing it to deteriorate until at the last it finally collapsed under its own weight. Without that layer of protection, the darkness her mother had instilled in her one callous insult, one well placed blow, and one magical punishment at a time flooded in, smothering the light for decades. Holding in such emotions allowed them to fester until everything commendable about a person turned gangrenous and died.

"I know if I'd had that choice, I would have joined them," Joshua then said, crossing his arms over his chest, "but life dragged on for me. It didn't take me long to turn to the bottle. I drank myself into oblivion for the next few years, hoping I would die or at least forget about what had happened for a while. Some days it worked, some days it didn't. Every day was full of misery, though. But then I met Janine and things changed."

At that, things shifted, and a tiny, tiny flash of light sparked in his eyes. Unable to stop herself, Ruby began to hope that perhaps Joshua could still be reached. She should have known better.

"Because of her I got better, found steady work, and we started a family. We were happy. By the time the Curse came, I thought I had moved on from what happened to my parents and brother. After it broke, we were happy again for a while, but then I saw you in town one day, looking exactly the same as the day you took my brother away from me."

Again, Joshua's features turned to steel, his irrational rage at her resurfacing as he recounted his more recent experiences. "Not long after, I overheard D.A. Spencer talking about how you murdered that kid...the mechanic. His name was Billy, I think. That set things off for me again. I had thought I buried my past, but I guess some things haunt you for the rest of your days, no matter what you do or try to get past them. Of course, you turned out to be innocent, but in the end it didn't matter. I knew it was just a matter of time before you went off the deep end and killed someone else. I couldn't let that happen to another family."

Ruby wanted to protest, but the look on Joshua's face stopped her cold. He was losing himself in the memories, getting swept away by his hatred of her to the point he began to shake. Shadows played over his features, lending a sinister look to his tired, weathered, and enraged features. Ruby held her breath against her fear of what might happen next.

Uncrossing his arms, he allowed them to fall to his sides where he clenched his fingers into a tight fist that strained his knuckles white. Ruby braced herself for an incoming blow, but none came. When she looked up, Joshua was staring at her, eyes cutting her to the quick with a thousand unspoken accusations.

"I started drinking again," he then said, his words sharp and harsh. "Not a lot, just enough to take the edge off of the anger that I lived with every waking second of the day since I saw you again. Janine went ballistic when she found out. I'd sworn I'd never touch the stuff again. We fought. She stormed out of the house with the kids to take them to her mother's cabin on the outskirts of town. She was so mad she forgot her phone. I wish she hadn't."

Joshua paused in his speech, a tortured look spreading over his features, smothering the animosity for a moment. There few emotions so powerful that they could supersede so much murderous malice. It didn't take a genius to figure out how this story ended. Ruby gulped audibly, her stomach trying in a knot.

"It was winter, the first freeze to boot," he began again, face still laden with untold grief. "There was a patch of black ice on the road. She plowed the car into an old, half dead tree. Without a way to contact anyone for help, they were stranded out there for hours in the freezing cold, pinned in the vehicle because the impact caused the upper part of the tree to break. It fell over on the car. By the time someone came across the wreck, it was too late. They froze to death...or bled to death. Not really sure. Never had the balls to ask for an autopsy."

Ruby swallowed thickly, unable to help feeling sorry for him after hearing such a tragic tale. But to lay all of the blame at her feet was absurd to say the least, though she doubted Joshua saw things that way. Grief tended to warp a person's logic to the point upside down is right-side up.

"I'm sorry, Joshua," she rasped out apologetically. "What happened to your family was terrible, but it was not my fault. I take full responsibility for what happened to Peter, but you can't blame me for something I didn't do."

"Not your fault?" he spat in outrage, his eyes burning with fury. "When the last domino falls, is it not the person who tipped the first piece who is ultimately responsible? _You_ set the chain of events in motion, Red. No one else: just you. _You_ have denied me the justice that is rightfully mine since the moment Peter died. But no more! You ruined my life and my family, so it's only fair I take my justice for myself and return the favor."

Ruby's anger flared at the poorly veiled implication, causing her earlier sympathy to evaporate and her composure to slip. She strained against her manacles to lean forward. Pain shot through her wrists and her shoulder, but she harnessed it to fuel her indignation.

She growled menacingly. "Is that why you stabbed Regina? Out of your twisted sense of justice? I ruined your family, so you ruin mine?"

"No, that knife was meant for you," Joshua answered evenly, only further aggravating Ruby by how frequently he seemed to alternate between calm and deranged. The rapid mood swings were beginning to give her vertigo. "I knew both of your schedules, so I didn't expect the Queen to be there. I'll admit it was a surprise, but I adapted. Not an ideal situation; although, I did so enjoy watching you fall apart in the hospital."

"You bastard!" Ruby growled, still pressing forward with all her might.

"Maybe I am. But it should show you just how poisonous you are," Joshua replied. "People that you love have a tendency to suffer unfortunate fates just because of your presence. So you see, in the end I'm doing your family a favor by enlightening them. Inevitably, they'll thank me for their awareness and for removing you from their lives."

Though Ruby was aware the purpose of Joshua's speech was to discourage her and to leech the fight out of her, she couldn't help but be affected. She didn't want to lend credence to the cruel words, but on some level, she actually feared what he was saying might be true. Ruby did not doubt for a second that her family loved her because they showed her every single day that they did. What she did question at times, however, was whether or not her presence in their lives was truly positive and constructive.

Doubt attempted to creep into her mind, but in response, she was drawn back to a time when she had confessed to feeling unworthy of Regina. After emptying herself of insecurities, doubts, fears, and feelings of inadequacy for what seemed like half an hour, Regina had regarded her with a look that was both stern and compassionate.

"I don't want to ever hear you say such a thing again," she'd said, her brows drawn in sincerity. Scooting closer to Ruby, she'd reached out to smooth her fingers down Ruby's cheek and jaw, after which she gently laced their fingers together. "You _are_ worthy." When Ruby had begun to protest, Regina shushed her with a warning glare. "No, Ruby. You need to listen to me. I grew up feeling as if I were not enough for my mother, so I know what it's like to struggle with such feelings. They are toxic and will prevent you from moving forward with your life. I don't want that for you."

"What I _do_ want for you," she'd then said, her voice softening as she tilted her head and smiled, "is for you to know that you are loved and cherished and appreciated. I know you hold me up as the epitome of womanhood..."

"'Cause you are," Ruby had interjected. "You're the greatest woman I've ever known. The most beautiful, the most intelligent, the most capable, the most loving...just the most in general."

"And you are prone to exaggeration, darling," Regina had countered, though she was still smiling.

"Debatable." Ruby smirked, though she'd been sure it didn't reach her eyes. She was still feeling the sting of the old wounds that always made her feel less than she was, like a wilting flower under a scorching sun.

Being the perceptive woman she was, Regina saw right through her. "What's not debatable is that I think you're simply incredible. Don't you realize how wonderful you are?" When Ruby ducked her head and bit her lip diffidently, Regina tipped her chin back up and leaned in to place a tender kiss upon her lips.

After withdrawing, Regina smoothed a thumb over Ruby's lips where the kiss had smudged her lipstick. Her eyes were glistening as she then stated, "You, Ruby Lucas, are a treasure far beyond that of your namesake. There is a famous proverb from this world that I find it most felicitous as a summation of my feelings. If I may be so bold as to slightly alter it, it says:

' _Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her lover safely trusts her; so they will have no lack of gain. She does them good and not evil all the days of her life.'_

"That is who you are to me, my love. You are Ruby Lucas, my 'luminous gem'. With you, my heart is safe. You have added so much joy and laughter and contentment to my life that your value is immeasurable. And at the end of the day, I know that you are good for me, for you give me more than I could ever hope to repay.

"That being said, I think out of the two of us, I'm the lucky one. I am so very blessed to have you in my life. I'll never know what I did to deserve you, but what I do know is that I'll never stop being grateful, and I will never stop loving you."

For as long as she lived, Ruby would never forget Regina's words. Up until that time, she had felt as if she were living a dream, waiting with dread for the moment she woke up and it was all over and she was alone again. Or sometimes it seemed like she was dancing with joy over a thinly frozen lake whose surface was beginning to crack under her weight, and that the frigid, deadly water lurking ever-so-quietly beneath the surface was just biding its time until it was permitted to drown her. Regina's declaration had awakened Ruby to the unpleasant reality that she had been living in a near-constant state of expecting failure. Yet all of that was permanently ended with one passionate speech from the most marvelous person to ever live (in Ruby's eyes, anyway).

Overwhelming passion had then driven her and Regina together, and they had surged toward one another, exchanging open mouthed and desperate kisses. Ruby had felt full to overflowing of an unquenchable thirst for her Queen and had not been able to get close enough, pressing her body as tightly against Regina's as the couch would allow.

Somehow Regina proceeded to work them both upright without their mouths ever losing contact, and in one smooth motion, she then lifted Ruby up by the backs of her thighs, coaxing Ruby's legs to interlock around her waist. In a feat of strength belying her stature, Regina had then proceeded to maneuver them both through the living room, up the stairs, and then down the hallway into the bedroom where they collapsed onto the bed. It hadn't taken long for clothes to be shed and for skin to meet skin. That night when they made love it was like the stars had aligned and all time had ceased and the earth and the sun were revolving around their intertwined bodies.

For Ruby it was the end of her doubts and insecurities, and in the two and a half years since, she had not given in to those feelings again, even when they threatened to flare up again at the most inopportune times. Remembering Regina's heartfelt speech was bulwark enough to withstand every attack of the past, and she knew that it was still enough, even though she was scared and in pain and naked and cold and quite probably about to experience a horrible death.

"You're wrong," she said to Joshua, the precious memory inciting total conviction. "My family loves me. Regina, Henry, Granny, Snow, Emma, David, Belle, Zelena, Victor...they all love me, and they need me and want me in their lives. I _am_ loved, Joshua, so if I die, they will _not_ thank you. They will miss me, they will mourn me, and they will _never_ forget me. And if they find out what what you've done – and believe me, they will – they will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. But tell me, Joshua: who will miss you when you're gone?"

As her chest heaved with the effort of her speech, Ruby focused on Joshua's face, noticing an ominous darkness pass over it and settle into his features. The realization came much too late that it had been the wrong thing to say.

She cringed internally as she watched Joshua's face transform and cursed herself for her stupidity. Up until that point, he had been mostly enjoying himself by verbally tormenting her, but now his visage was void of any semblance of pleasure. Instead, his eyes glowed with an insane rage that sent fright racing through her body like lightning chasing down the length of an antenna. She tried to brace herself for the violent reaction she knew was about to ensue, but it did no good.

With astounding force, Joshua slapped her again, and this time the impact of the blow jolted her head so quickly that it was a wonder her neck did not snap. Blood began to well up at the corner of her mouth. A second slap to the opposite cheek immediately followed, wrenching her head back in the opposite direction. Her vision blurred with the successive jolts to her brain.

Somehow managing a defiant glare, Ruby spat at Joshua, watching with great satisfaction as droplets of her saliva and blood sprinkled over his face and shirt. Almost calmly, he wiped the bloody spit off his with his sleeve. As his arm dropped to his sides after wiping his face clean, he leveled her with a burning expression of hatred that made her stomach turn. The beating began in earnest after that.

With a shout, Joshua smashed an iron fist into her face. The force of the blow caused dots of rainbow colors to speckle her vision. After that, blow after blow rained down in succession, battering her body as he pummeled her stomach and then hammered away at her ribs over and over and over again.

The pain was so overwhelming that Ruby could not even scream, only grunt and groan in agony. On and on he beat her until she lost all sense of time and space. She was floating on clouds of agony. Eventually, she collapsed to the dirt floor, and her wrists and shoulders protested at the tension from her chains. However, that did nothing to slow Joshua's rage.

Ruby felt her cheek bone crack as Joshua landed his most brutal punch yet and at last she cried out. Shortly thereafter, she felt two of her ribs snap as his booted feet kicked her mercilessly. Another vicious strike to her face followed, breaking her nose and causing blood to gush down her face and throat.

For a moment thereafter, the beating stopped and Ruby hoped in her deteriorating state of cognizance that she might be given a respite. Out of the rapidly decreasing field of view from her swelling eyes, she glanced at Joshua. He was standing in front of her with his chest heaving and his face awash with rapturous satisfaction. Blood dripped from his knuckles. He smiled.

"Did you like it as much as I did?" he asked tauntingly.

Before Ruby could formulate any kind of response, one final punch contacted her temple, sending her spiraling into blessedly painless oblivion.

* * *

 **Notes** : Okay, so, yeah...another cliffie. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is one more of those left before we reach the crest of our narrative hill.

Poor, poor Ruby. Her pain has just begun. =(

Before I check out, I wanted to inquire as to whether or not y'all are satisfied with the direction of the story. I'm not pandering for comments by any means, so feel free to ignore what's below. But I am genuinely curious as to how y'all feel. Is the story turning out the way you had imagined? Or am I whammying y'all relentlessly with the plot developments? I welcome any discussion that's story related or character related or even show related. I like interacting with my readers. It's what makes writing fan fiction so rewarding!

I also want to be sure to state that it's okay to not be happy with me or to not like the story. That's cool! I moderate all guest reviews, but so long as there is a point besides flaming, I will approve them. There are stories I don't care for, too, and sometimes my most favorite authors make me mad as hell with their torturous but delicious slow burns. To be truthful, I'm not happy with me right now, believe me. I want to just post the rest of the story so my favorite gals can be happy, but they have to earn it first, and I suppose so do I. =P I just don't want anyone to feel afraid to post their opinion. So long as it is respectfully stated, I can take it. Even criticism can help an author to grow, not only in skill and awareness, but to thicken our skin.

So yeah...with that out of the way, I should be posting again on Thursday or Friday. I'm not sure which. I'm thinking Friday cause its a good day for y'all to read the next chapter and decompress over the weekend. You're going to need it, I'm afraid. *Slips on flame retardant suit*

As always, thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing and such. Y'all rock my socks off!


	17. A Constant State of Pain

**Notes** : At the bottom, probably going to be this way for the rest of this story. Queue the saddest music you can possibly find and get ready. It's going to get ugly. WARNING: Graphic scenes of torture ahead. Be advised. You all know your limits.

Rebel: I apologize in advance. You're going to hate me, I know it. What's coming is necessary though.

megan: This story is finished, so I could post it all at once, but I take my time editing and am a perfectionist. Two chapters a week is pushing it as is when I have a bunch of other stuff waiting on me to write as well. =P

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 16** – A Constant State of Pain

When Ruby came to once again, it was because of the violent slamming of the door leading down to the basement. Startling in place, she let out an anguished moan. Her entire upper torso was one giant mass of pain. Her wrists and shoulders throbbed viciously, and her left shoulder was especially bothering her from where the bullet remained obstinately stuck inside it. It was a thorn in her paw that she could not remove on her own.

 _Where's a mouse when I need one?_ she thought dimly of Aesop's famous fable that suddenly sprang to mind. It didn't matter to her that she wasn't a lion caught helplessly in a net. A trapped wolf with no way out but the grave needed someone to help her just the same.

Shaking the morbid thoughts away, Ruby tried to open her eyes, only to be met with unexpected resistance. Her lids had swollen so large that great effort was required to form a slit barely big enough for her to see out of. Upon achieving this tiniest of Herculean feats, Ruby gasped and clamped her eyes tightly shut once more. The low light illuminating the basement was now blinding. It took four tries for her to keep them open and by that time her eyes had begun to water.

Over the next few seconds that followed, Ruby forced her breathing to steady, ignoring the protestations of her brutalized ribs. As she collected her composure, she allowed her mind to reacclimate to cognizance, and once she could form coherent thoughts, she set about trying to gather her wits. Although it was difficult to focus with so much of her body wracked with throbbing aches and biting pains, she managed to grit her way through until she became somewhat conditioned to her general state of agony.

At last able to think clearly, or at least clearly enough, Ruby noticed that she was in the same awkwardly folded position she fell into while being assaulted. Apparently Joshua's rage had spent itself after she lost consciousness. She supposed with doleful humor that it was no fun to beat someone no longer aware they were being beaten.

But then she heard heavy footsteps descending the staircase, interrupting her bleak train of thought. _Thud_ , _thud_ , _thud_ , _thud_ , like thunderous sticks beating down on hardwood drums they came, pounding a rhythm that set her heart racing. Suddenly terrified, she tried to stand, but lacked the strength to do so.

As it turned out, her ability to bear her own weight did not matter, for the first thing Joshua did upon properly entering the room was to cross over to the wall on Ruby's left hand side where a reel was located that connected to her chains. Horror washed over her as she realized what was going to happen.

Completely silent and devoid of virtually any emotion, Joshua began to turn the crank on the reel, deliberately winding the chains connecting to the manacles. Up and over a pulley they went, and then around the reel itself, and as the reel was turned, the chains retracted, drawing her slowly upward. Ruby prayed that he stop upon getting her to her feet, but her prayers were to go unanswered; he did not cease until she was drawn at least a foot from the ground.

As she was hoisted into the air, Ruby bit her lip to contain a scream. When combined with the pain from her gunshot wound, the incredible strain being placed upon her wrists and shoulders was nearly too much to take. In an effort to relieve some of the pressure on her overtaxed joints, she grasped the chains connected to the manacles so that she could ever-so-slightly pull herself up. Sapped of strength as she was, she was prevented from accomplishing anything of significance.

For several minutes after her vertical movement halted, Ruby hung limply, blinded by the cumulative pain of her many severe injuries as well as from being suspended by joints not designed to tolerate such stress. When at last she could breathe again (though it was labored and hitched), she looked warily over at Joshua, who stood next to the reel appearing rather smug. For a long moment, he contented himself to silently observe her, seeming to take immense pleasure at her general misery.

Without a word and still looking inordinately pleased with himself, Joshua then crossed over to the wall directly in front of her. There on a table lined in neat rows were various instruments and tools. He looked indecisively between the objects, picking them up in succession to consider them at length. She did not have to wonder why he was taking his time; she knew that his purpose was to prolong the terror of anticipation.

Supplied with everything from knives of assorted lengths, to pliers, razors, scissors, scalpels, and hammers, Joshua took his sweet time in choosing. He picked each of them up in turn and then sat them down, working his way through many of them before settling on something that sent shivers down Ruby's spine: a long braided whip with a smooth leather handle.

Grasping it tightly, he unwound the cord of the whip and then flicked it once, producing a sharp crack that pierced the air. Ruby jerked reflexively at the sound. A truly indescribable dread settled deep into her marrow, vibrating her bones with an acute fear that stole her ability to think. She stared on dumbly.

"This is the sort of whip that circus trainers use, you know," Joshua then said, gazing at her with a loaded smile as he then circled slowly around to stand behind her. Though she could no longer see him, amusement was evident in his tone. "When they are taming their animals, that is. I find it rather appropriate given your true identity."

Growing incensed at the insinuation, she snapped her out of her haze. "Is that what you intend to do?" she asked, managing a semblance of sardonic bravado. "Are you going to tame me? Make me your pet?" She hoped her continued defiance was evident in her voice, but doubted it. A trembling voice tends to carry little weight.

Joshua gave out a low, grating laugh out at the notion, as if it were utterly ridiculous. "Hell, no," he retorted. "You're not fit to be anyone's pet, you're a wild animal that needs to be put down. But first I'm going to be teach you a lesson. So..." He trailed off.

Ruby opened her mouth to level him with a caustic rejoinder but was rudely interrupted by a streak of fire erupting across her shoulders. With her mouth opened in preparation to speak, she was unable to contain a very high-pitched gasp-shriek. Panting, she tried to recover her composure, but Joshua did not allow it.

Following the first lash was another, then another, and then another, criss-crossing her back from top to bottom. Biting her lip until she drew blood, Ruby counted the relentless blows as they came – a futile attempt to disassociate. _Five_ , _six_ , _seven_ (she whimpered), _eight_ , _nine_ (her jaw tightened until she felt it might crack), _ten_ , _eleven_ , _twelve_ (her head swam and her eyes rolled momentarily into the back of her head), _thirteen_ , _fourteen_ , _fifteen_.

With each of the last three strikes, she chewed into her lip more deeply so that when the 15th landed, she nearly bit clean through. Already busted from her earlier beating, blood began ooze from her the new wound to then trickle down her chin in thick globules.

The whipping ceased for a moment, allowing Ruby to catch a shaky breath. Scared out of her mind and in so much pain she could barely make sense of things, she half-gasped with every inhale and half-sobbed with every exhale.

But just when she thought herself on the verge of regaining control of her panicky emotions, Joshua changed things up by landing a sharp, crackling lash across the backs of her thighs. The sensitive flesh there being so abused finally broke through what little willpower she had managed to hold on to. Her grip on the chains tightened down so hard that she could feel her fingernails beginning to separate from their beds. When the next lash came in at the junction of her thighs and the backs of her knees, she could hold it in no longer. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

At least 5 more excruciating strikes came in, battering the length her thighs all the way up to her rear. She couldn't tell the exact number she received because the torment of her skin being turned into molten lava was blocking out her ability to do even rudimentary arithmetic. Now mostly broken of her will to resist, each blow she received ripped a strangled cry, an ear piercing shriek, or a desperate wail out of her until her voice was almost utterly spent.

The agony of being whipped so viciously in such a tender area was overwhelming to the point that even though she wanted to cry, she could not manage to summon the necessary tears. Her entire body began to tremble under the immense strain of the brutality like it was the epicenter of a high magnitude earthquake. And then as if she had not been through enough already, she began dry heaving almost to the point of choking in between the increasingly feeble screams. Humiliation heaped upon humiliation.

After giving a very audible grunt of satisfaction at the results of his tactic, Joshua then returned to flogging her back, ruthlessly thrashing away at the already mauled flesh. Ruby could feel the blood streaming down her body and dripping from her toes. Her head sagged, sinking lower and lower as Joshua whipped her another untold number of times. When he was at last satisfied, he unceremoniously tossed the bloody whip on the ground at her feet and then walked away.

"I'll see you in another hour, Red," he called loudly as he ascended up the steps, and then slammed the door behind him.

In unimaginable pain and for the moment convinced of her impending death, Ruby at last gave in to despair. Having lost all hope and with her body likely mutilated beyond recognition, there was nothing left to restrain the volatile emotions she'd been holding back. Like the frothing waters of a raging river at last unleashed from its dam, they rushed out of her in torrential waves. She began to sob hysterically.

She lost all conception of time as she wallowed in the darkest sorrow she had ever experienced. After a while of open and messy weeping, her wracking sobs slowed into despondent hiccups, and having exhausted her grief for the moment, she felt herself fading quickly. She did not fight against it. Still dangling mid-air, held tight by the manacles, her vision clouded and rapidly turned black. Soon enough she was unshackled from consciousness and from all of her pain and sorrow.

Tragically, Ruby's temporary reprieve did not last very long. She was rudely extricated from her temporary nescience by a large bucket of ice water being poured over her head. Her eyes shot open and she gasped loudly, spitting and spluttering as the bitterly chilled water covered her face and washed down her bare skin, creating gooseflesh everywhere it touched. The effects of the frigid fluid set in almost immediately. She began to uncontrollably shiver.

Shocked, disoriented, and still dangling from the ceiling in chains, Ruby looked up in an attempt to get her bearings. As she took in the awfully mangled state of her wrist, she began to feel the area throb, as if by seeing it her brain had at last remembered it should be feeling pain. But with the cold and a glut of wounds already marring her body, she suspected there was little room left for her overloaded neurons to process the information the nerves from her wrists were sending; that, or the area had simply grown numb due to lack of circulation. Neither option was encouraging.

Out of no where, a rogue burst of air moved through the basement, and when it slammed into her exposed skin, a particularly vicious tremble racked her body. Her eyes clenched shut in an automated physiological response. Ruby could both hear and feel the chattering of her own teeth that soon followed, and an absurdly vain thought crossed her mind that she hoped she wouldn't chip a tooth. Regina loved her smile.

Not a sentimental woman by nature, Regina was not apt to give out praise like so much candy, so when she did, she was to be taken seriously. Unlike most ordinary people who would lie to make someone feel better, Regina was never false with her complements. For that reason alone, whenever she bestowed praise upon Ruby, Ruby liked to tease her back with playful remarks such as, "you should tell me that more often, hon," to which Regina would usually respond with an affectionate roll of her eyes or a playful swat on the ass.

But every now and then, Regina would elaborate on her temperance by explaining that if she were to be flippant with her complements, they would lose their value.

"That which is frequently given," she'd said once, "is easily taken for granted."

Ruby had understood what Regina meant by that and accepted the truthful nature of such sound reasoning. And to be honest, it made the times Regina lavished adulation upon her all the more sweet.

There was one thing about Ruby, however, that Regina made an exception for, and that was her smile. Once, when Ruby had asked her why she broke her own rule to give so many accolades for so simple a thing, Regina gave a particularly gorgeous smile of her own.

"It's very simple," she then said with such warmth that Ruby's heart was set aflutter, "your smile is the one thing I can count on to bring light to my day, even when the sun itself fails to do so."

People often told Ruby throughout the years – and in both worlds – that she had a pretty smile, but Regina's complement had been the most meaningful she had ever received. It made her feel so good to know that she brought happiness to the person she cherished above all others, even when said person's days were dark. Seeing as Regina felt that way, it seemed a shameful tragedy if even that might now be ruined.

Even so, Ruby internally mused that even though the cold was bad, it at least it helped to ease the stinging of the whip wounds that were still burning as it steeped in battery acid. If she had nothing else going for her, she had that. It wasn't much, but considering the predicament she was in, she was willing to take whatever positives she could get.

Besides, she couldn't afford to allow her earlier despondence to return, because if she did, there really would be no hope for her. As bleak as the situation appeared, she was not yet willing to concede the fight for survival; doing so meant giving up on Regina and their unborn child – on Henry, Granny, and everyone else she loved so much. No, she would not yet surrender. She had too much to live for and too much to lose.

When a chuckle cut into her thoughts, Ruby returned her attention to the far wall where the reel for the chains was located. Leaning calmly against it was a smirking Joshua, looking extremely comfortable. Before she could even properly form an insult to spit out at him, his annoying contentment turned into a full-fledged grin.

"I bet you're ready to be let down, huh?" he asked, mocking her with purposefully feigned concern. As bright and cheery as his features were, he appeared every bit the kid on Christmas morning who cared for nothing else except opening his presents. Unfortunately for Ruby, she was his present. Ugly as she now was, she thought grimly, not even a bow could improve her appearance.

With a pleased bark of laughter, Joshua then turned toward the wheel without waiting for a reply, not that Ruby was able to formulate an appropriate one as muddled as she was. "Well, I'm more than happy to oblige. Going...down."

Grabbing the handle attached to the wheel, Joshua promptly yanked it backwards. All at once, Ruby heard the clicking of a latch being released and felt the relief of tension from the manacles. She would have enjoyed the discharge of pressure from her wrists but for the proceeding fall. Crashing to the ground roughly, she landed in a heap on her injured shoulder. An enormous jolt of pain radiated from the oldest of her wounds as it reawakened with a vengeance, and she hissed and gritted her teeth together. Sweat formed at her temples with the effort required to hold in yet another scream.

Almost the second she hit the ground, Joshua was standing next to her holding a metal chair by one hand and several lengths of dog tie chain in the other. Silently, he went about picking her up by winding his arms around her chest and lifting her by the armpits. Once she was upright, he began to maneuver her toward the chair, but as he re-secured his hold more fully underneath her breasts, Ruby saw a golden opportunity that she couldn't afford to pass up.

As violently as she could, she threw her head back and kicked out with her heel, feeling both come into contact with a relevant part of Joshua's body. Sadly, with as weak as she was, her attacks had little true force behind them and had almost no effect besides making him stumble back a few paces. It only took Joshua a moment to regather himself before he was lunging at her with a growl. She was too weak to fight as he wrapped her up in his arms again.

This time his grip was painfully tight, causing intense pressure on both whip wounds and her battered ribs, and as the pain ratcheted up under the strain of his embrace, her vision faltered. Her legs soon gave way as she lost control of her limbs, and she slumped heavily against his chest with a prolonged groan.

Joshua took the opportunity to lean in and press his mouth to the outer shell of her ear. "If you try anything like that again, this won't end with your death." His threaten was spoken with a menacing tone that alerted Ruby as to how deadly serious he was. "I know how much you love that Queen of yours, so perhaps after I've disposed of you I'll finish what I started earlier today. But before I do, I might decide to squeeze in a little bit of _extra_ fun, and I think you know exactly what I mean by that."

The threat had its intended effect. Clenching her eyes shut, all of the fight drained out of her and she sagged more fully against Joshua. He had leverage on her with which she could not and would not compete. If it meant Regina would be safe, she was willing to endure whatever hell he had planned, even if it meant her death.

"Alright, alright, I won't. I promise," she muttered in resignation, looking back over her shoulder at him, pleading clemency for Regina's sake. In order to get it, she needed to tell him what he wanted to hear. "I won't fight you. I'm the one at fault, so I deserve this, and I accept that. You can do whatever you want to me, but please... _please_ leave Regina out of it."

Judging by the nod she could see out of the corner of her eyes, he accepted her bargain, which honestly surprised her. Even so, she was immensely relieved. All fear for her own well-being diminished under the knowledge that her capitulation had secured her girlfriend's safety.

"That's a good girl," was Joshua's derisive response. He patted her head as if she were a dog who had just learned a neat trick. The action served to intensify her hatred of him, but she did not struggle as he went about guiding her into the metal chair. He pushed her roughly to sit, and the surface was so cold that she lurched forward when the abused flesh of her thighs and rear made contact with it.

Ready for such a reaction, Joshua immediately grabbed her arms and roughly pushed her back down. Her wounds burned from being pressed so roughly into the unforgiving metal. Ruby growled out a curse that had Joshua raising an eyebrow.

Unaffected by her discomfort, he then proceeded to utilize the thin chains he'd brought along in expert fashion to secure her arms and legs to the chair. As if she were not already suffering enough, he also made sure to wrap them overly tight before latching them together with padlocks.

Seeing as the chair had armrests, her arms were bound perpendicular to her body, which had evidently been the entire purpose. This assumption was confirmed when Joshua slowly lowered himself to his haunches in front of her and began to play tauntingly with her fingers. Heeding his earlier warning, Ruby permitted the unnerving action, though she wanted nothing more than to tear his throat out – if only she had the strength to do so.

"Such long and lovely fingers," he commented, smiling sickly as he singled out her right index finger. "And talented, too, I bet."

"Wouldn't you like to know," she retorted saucily, unable to help being offended at his very intimate inference. According to Regina, her fingers were _very_ talented indeed, but it would be a cold day in hell before she let Joshua know that.

Instead of responding verbally, Joshua grinned and reached behind him to produce an old pair of pliers out of his back pocket. Ruby's eyes widened.

"If that was an offer, I'll pass," he said. "I've no need of them."

Before Ruby could even prepare herself, he opened the pliers up, grabbed the tip of her finger with them, and then squeezed the handles so hard she almost immediately heard the bone pop as it shattered under the pressure. A moment passed in which she sat there in stunned silence, knowing what had happened yet unable to feel anything. But all too soon she felt the blood drain from her face as a hellish pain exploded from the decimated digit. The intensity of it spun her stomach, causing it to roll over and over like an out of control Ferris wheel until she was forced to turn her head and retch.

"Didn't that feel great?" Joshua chirped as Ruby moaned and spat the sick out of her mouth. Along with the violent throbbing of her finger, her head was now a balloon being held precariously by the thin string of her neck, about to float away into the nether never to be seen again. "I think it did," he answered himself, "so I'm going to do you a favor and let you experience it again. See, I _can_ be kind!"

Grabbing her middle finger, Joshua repeated the process and this time Ruby felt rather than heard the popping of the bone. Another white hot rush of pain flooded from her newly broken finger, and this time she screamed and jerked reflexively against her bonds. All she managed to do, however, was scoot the chair backwards a few inches.

"Oh, yes!" Joshua exclaimed in delight as he gripped the leg of the chair and pulled her back towards him without missing a beat. "I knew you loved it!" Turning his head, he cupped his ear towards her. "What's that? More? Why, of course!"

The popping of her ring finger soon followed and Ruby screamed again, her pain threshold having been long since passed by. It seemed a small marvel that her voice was able to produce any sound at all due to how much she had screamed already. And yet again and again it proved to be unexpectedly resilient. She screeched and howled with each successive clamp of the pliers and crunching of bone as Joshua broke the tips of the fingers in both hands.

By the time he reached the last remaining one, the pinky finger of her left hand, Ruby's head was pulsing with pressure and her hands were mostly numb. She looked down to see the mangled mess of her fingertips, grotesquely resplendent in various shades of purple with their cracked nails and flattened surfaces. As she stared blankly at the juxtaposition of her nine ruined fingers next to the one pristine one, a feeling of weightlessness descended over her, and were it not for the chains binding her to the chair, she felt she would have flowed to the ground as if made of liquid.

But the feeling did not persist. Soon after, her pinky finger was also treated to the experience of being pulverized, and this time, rather than scream, she simply passed out.

The next thing Ruby knew, she was being forcefully brought awake by smelling salts. With bleary eyes, she looked up to see Joshua towering over her with another bucket of water. " _Oh, God_ ," she thought to herself, " _not again_."

"Bath time," he announced as if reading her thoughts.

Ruby's eyes clenched shut with anticipation a mere breath before he dumped yet another freezing mixture of ice and water over her head. She shuddered and struggled to breath as the cold clawed at her heaving chest. Coughing fitfully, she tried to clear the water she had sucked in out her lungs.

After a minute of painful hacking, she opened her eyes to find Joshua standing in front of her with battery cables now in hand. The sight of them ripped Ruby right out of her frozen stupor. Grinning again, Joshua made a great show out of bending down to attach the cables to the chair. Once he was finished with that task, he stood and walked over to his work bench where he picked up a large wooden spoon. After securing it, he made his way back over to her and held the handle up to her mouth.

Looking up desperately, Ruby searched Joshua for some sign that he might be swayed from this course of action. She knew she was setting herself up for disappointment, but she was past the point of caring.

"Joshua... _please_ ," she pleaded around a sob, but there was no leeway to be found. His eyes were as emotionless and intractable as the cinder block walls of the basement.

"You might want to bite down on this unless you want to lose your tongue," he said matter-of-factly. Realizing the inevitability of things, she had no choice but to comply.

With a bitter tear running down her face and trembling so violently that the chair shook, Ruby bit down on the handle of the wooden spoon. It tasted like week old spaghetti, but she was too scared to say or do anything other than choke back her gag reflex.

After making sure the handle was secure between her teeth, Joshua nodded sharply and then waltzed over to the wall adjacent to his work bench. There, he hovered his hand over a switch, under which Ruby could see several wires protruding from the switch box. The wires then connected to the battery cables now clamped to the chair she was sitting on.

"I rigged this up myself," he announced rather proudly. "I'll bet you're...shocked at my ingenuity." He laughed at the ridiculously bad pun, and the sound of it reverberated through Ruby's mind and body until her stomach began churning. When his laughter subsided a moment later, a malefic shadow swept away his flippant air. The expression that settled over him was so sinister and creepy that her heart started thumping at a dangerous pace. "No, not yet," he then said in response to his own rhetorical remark, "but you're about to be." And with that, he threw the switch.

All of the muscles in Ruby's body seized and tightly constricted when the current hit her as if an overstretched piece of parchment about to rend down the center. As it tore through her body with terrific force and speed, her voice strained to loose a scream around the object in her mouth, but the muscles of her jaw were locked down and unresponsive. The result was a pathetic, strangled sound that vaguely reminded her of the protested humming of a broken speaker mixed with the dying wails of a wounded deer.

Almost as quickly as it came, the current was cut off and Ruby slouched against her bonds woozy and breathing erratically. But no sooner than she had taken a single breath, it returned, eliciting much the same response as before. This process was repeated a total of five times before she was given any semblance of a reprieve.

"Interesting," Joshua commented from where he leaned against the wall, or at least, Ruby thought he was leaning; she couldn't be sure because there were currently three of him. "I expected more thrashing, but you hardly moved at all."

The clinical tone of his voice broke something inside of her that had been holding out hope until that moment. The depth of planning he had put into this and the amount of pleasure, both intellectually and emotionally that he was getting from it told her that it was only going to get worse. She didn't want to imagine what that meant, but at the same time, she knew that if this continued long, it wasn't going to matter. She was rapidly arriving at a state of mental detachment that would deplete what was left of her will to resist, and once she got there, all of his fun would end. When that happened, her death would be imminent.

Somehow, though, she scrounged up the strength to straighten in her chair. As her face hardened with resolve, she mustered up what remained of her reserves of courage. She was still not ready to give up.

Seeing her reaction only made Joshua's smile brighten. "Ready for more, I see," he said. "Well, I'm happy to oblige." He threw the switch again. The results were very much consistent with the previous attempt.

All in all, he thrice repeated the process of electrocuting her, and each session contained five short bursts in a row after which he gave her a short space to recover. By the end of the last time, Ruby was barely able to hold her head up and her eyes were leaking an endless stream tears.. The line of drool extending from her mouth to her lap only added to her shame.

"I think we're done here for now," he said, recognizing that she was on the verge of shattering into a million pieces. But instead of leaving her be, he threw the switch one last time and left it on until she was again sucked into the blackened void of nothingness.

The next time Ruby woke, she was out of the chair and back in the manacles in the center of the room, held in a standing position. It did not take long for Joshua to make his reappearance.

In all, he paid her two more visits. Each time he chose to alternate between suspending her and leaving her on the ground. Ruby supposed it was in an effort to keep her perpetually off guard, but she didn't really see the point. The whipping had stripped her of more than just a large portion of flesh, but also many of her defenses, and what followed after with the breaking of her fingers and the electrocution peeled away even more. She had very little left in the way of defenses.

Whatever the case, she never knew what was coming next, but one thing was always the same in every session: a constant state of pain the like of which she had never imagined a person could endure and remain alive and sane.

The first hour, Joshua cut her with knives of various sizes and shapes. He carved intricate shapes into her abdomen, arms, legs, breasts, and virtually every other available surface save her face. It genuinely surprised her that he chose to not ruin the one feature she knew Peter had most appreciated, which had served to underscore her earlier assumption that there was some infinitesimally small measure of the Joshua she knew still inside him. None of that mattered, though, when sharp blades were being run across her skin or expertly plunged beyond flesh into muscular areas devoid of vital organs.

The pain of being sliced and stabbed was actually less unpleasant for her than the whipping. She supposed it was because she had endured such injuries during her life in the Enchanted Forest both as a person and as a wolf. Still, she passed out two times during that session.

The next torture Joshua chose was burning. Concealed as it was behind a toolbox, Ruby had not noticed the hand-held blowtorch on the ground under the table. When Joshua had theatrically presented it to her, she was unable to hide her terror. In fact, as he lit the torch in front of her face, she was so irrationally afraid that she very audibly whimpered much to Joshua's delight.

As if her degradation was not yet complete, the pain of being burned was so terrible that she lost control of her already aching bladder and soiled herself. That humiliation felt to Ruby like the culmination of being dehumanized, and it was as if the last of her dignity dripped from her feet along with the urine. The only positive about that particular method of torture was that the heat of the torch cauterized the weeping wounds from where she'd been stabbed.

When she finally passed out again, she knew that whether or not she lived through the ordeal, Joshua had managed to accomplish his objective: she felt like an animal.

When Ruby came to for the last time, it was due to a sharp slap across her already bruised and swollen right cheek. Though dangling in the air from her chains, she realized that she no longer felt any pain from her wrists.

With what was almost an inhuman effort, she lifted her head to glance up. Through the slits in her swollen eyes she could see that the manacles had now dug completely through the flesh and were holding her up by the bone. Her shoulder also no longer caused her unceasing agony. Ruby guessed that the gunshot wound had been so abused as to finally grow numb.

Absently, she wondered what fresh hell Joshua had planned for her next, then almost immediately began to question her sanity at such a thought. One thing was for certain: she knew she that her body could not take much more of this extreme abuse before it failed her completely. She was already shivering from head to toe and losing feeling in her extremities due to blood loss.

"Well, it's that time again," Joshua said as he stood in front of the dreaded table with a sick smile on his face. "What'll it be? Any preferences?"

Ruby could only manage to grunt. Her voice had long since given out on her and as she had just experienced, she barely possessed the ability to lift her own head.

"No?" Joshua asked, feigning surprise. "Well, then I'll just have to choose for you." He picked up an old hacksaw, then set it back down, giving Ruby an appraising look. He seemed unexpectedly disappointed by the lack of reaction. With a dramatic sight, he abandoned his search. "Well, I can see that you won't last much longer. Such a shame, I had hoped a legendary beast such as yourself would be able hold out far beyond a few meager hours. But I suppose I've had my fun, so we'll just skip forward to the grand finale."

Stepping a bit closer to the table, Joshua pushed aside a black cloth that had covered the back half, revealing a long-handled object. He grabbed it and then presented it to her. Even with her eyes so swollen that she could barely see, Ruby instantly recognized that the instrument of her death was before her. Although outraged by what she saw, her fear was so palpable that her shivers transformed into quaking.

"That's right," Joshua laughed as he tauntingly fondled the handle. "You know what these are, don't you, Red?"

Ruby did know. In Joshua's hand was a silver-bladed scythe, the handle of which was decorated by what had to be dozens of wolf canines. It was an ironically ornamented instrument of death if ever there was one. And in seeing the weapon, Ruby at last understood what had been happening to the wolves of Storybrooke. It made her sick to think that Joshua had been slaughtering them for the sole purpose of ornamenting a weapon with which to murder her, and not because she was about to die, but because it was all her fault.

"I had to kill many wolves to obtain the perfect canines with which to decorate this weapon," he commented, knowing that she was unable to respond even though she wanted nothing more than to scream out obscenities at him. It seemed he was enjoying himself now more than at any other time during the ordeal. "I'm sure you wondered what was happening to them all. I was very careful to spread out the kills so as not to alert suspicion, and equally careful to cover my tracks.

"You see, after Peter and my parents died, I made it my personal mission to learn how to hunt wolves and werewolves alike. Even my drinking couldn't temper that compulsion. I stopped after I met Janine, but when the curse broke and it all came rushing back, the desire began again. When my family died, I had no reason left to control it, so I started hunting again." Pausing for just a second, he lifted the weapon and pointed to a large canine fixed to the bottom of pommel, which made it look as if it were part of the handle. "I chose the Huntsman's former companion as my first."

No longer able to cry, Ruby whimpered in sorrow at hearing the fate of Graham's beloved friend. She had been looking for him since not terribly long after the curse broke, with special diligence given after she had regained mastery of her wolf. Now she knew why she had never been able to find him. Ruby also had the answer as to why the local wolf population was mysteriously thinning. It had bothered her that she could never figure out the cause, costing her many sleepless nights over the past few months.

"I kept the best of the canines, but none of them are as magnificent as those which belonged to the Huntman's wolf," Joshua continued to explain in an excited manner. He approached Ruby and touched the tip of the blade against her neck. She flinched away in a primal reaction. "I thought decorating the weapon this way would the most fitting way to end your pathetic existence, bitch. I've been waiting so long for this moment that I almost don't want it to end. But at long last, it's time. So, let justice be done: for Peter, for Janine, for Paul, for Nora, for mama, for papa, and for me."

Taking a step back, Joshua then raised the weapon over his head, eyes alight with a furious yet gleeful madness. Ruby hated the fact that she was going to die in such an ignominious way, but there was nothing she could do about it.

" _I love you, Regina_ ," was her last thought as she clenched her eyes shut. " _I'm so sorry. Please forgive me._ "

A moment later, she heard the terrible whistling of the air bending around the razor sharp blade of the scythe, followed immediately by the grotesque sound of flesh and bone being ripped and torn apart. Unspeakable pain exploded from her chest, robbing her of her breath. As her eyes shot open, a silent scream died on her lips.

The brightest of white lights she had ever seen exploded behind her eyelids to completely engulf her vision. For the briefest of seconds, it was all she could see, white – endless, calming, welcoming, beckoning white – until soon after an all-encompassing blackness descended, dragging her forcefully down. And just like that, Ruby Lucas disappeared into the nonexistence of death.

* * *

 **Notes** : Well, I did it. I killed her. I'm so freaking sorry! I hate myself for putting you all through this, but y'all had to know this was coming right? I mean, I telegraphed it pretty plainly a couple chapters back that Ruby had to die to pay the price for her baby. And now she has. *sob* My poor baby.

But don't lose hope! It's not over yet! In the next two chapters we will get to see our resident BAMF Regina Mills save the day and give out an enormous can of whoop-ass. So take the weekend, recompose yourselves, and get ready for some hoo-rah, holy hell, get-em-girl awesomeness.

I'll see y'all next week!


	18. A Tale of Two Hearts

**Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

* * *

" _My heart is in you; Where you go you carry me._

 _I bleed, if you bleed; Your heart beats inside of me._

You're keeping me alive." - The Afters "Keeping Me Alive"

* * *

 **Chapter 17** – A Tale of Two Hearts

Regina felt like she was no longer present in the here and now. Somewhere between descending the stairs and turning the corner into the basement, she had been sucked out of reality into a living nightmare. Now she was trapped inside, held captive by the most depraved imagings her mind could conjure, and with no visible way of escape. Unable to move, unable to speak, unable scream, unable to do anything but stare, she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

In the middle of the open space before her, dangling from the ceiling by manacles and chains, was a mangled mess of a woman. At least she was pretty sure it was a woman. The shape was right and the identifying body parts were there, but human beings were not supposed to look like... _that_. The person hanging from those chains more closely resembled a slab of bloody meat one could find at any local slaughterhouse.

Shocked as she was, it took a split second for Regina to process that said woman was in fact her missing partner. Even then it was difficult to recognize Ruby under the prolific coat of blood – some dried and some still dripping onto the ground from her toes like water from a leaky faucet – covering her bare skin.

The more she stared, the more strange she began to feel. Absently she realized she was disconnecting in an attempt to protect the defensive barriers she maintained around her mind and heart. Admitting the awful truth of what was before her would almost certainly break her; and even if it didn't, she would never be the same after having witnessed so horrific a scene.

As her eyes swept over Ruby's motionless form, she prayed that either she would wake up from her ceaseless nightmare or that Ruby would look up and smile and say that she was alright, and then everything could go back to normal again. Regina would have gladly settled for one of those options, but deep down, she knew neither were going to happen.

Upon catching sight of a grotesque looking weapon protruding from Ruby's chest, her knees nearly buckled and her heart gave a violent lurch. At last loosed from the bonds of so visual an example of hell, she cried out Ruby's name at the top her lungs and then jolted forward, propelled by an unspeakable fear that gripped with vice-like intensity at her throat.

As she rushed towards Ruby, she noticed a deranged looking man attempt to cut off her path. She recognized him immediately as Joshua Woods. Acting on pure instinct, Regina waved her hand in his direction, sending him flying through the air to slam heavily against the concrete walls of the basement, silenced and tightly imprisoned by her magic.

A second later, she heard her companions arrive around the corner, followed shortly thereafter by Snow's own scream of horrified grief. It was a terrible sound that Regina never wanted to hear again, which was strange considering there had been a time in her life she would have paid half the gold of her kingdom for that exact noise to ring joyously in her ears. Now, though, it did nothing but add to her already mounting desire to unleash the devil that lived inside her on the perpetrator of this most heinous crime.

Halting in her progress at Snow's scream, Regina turned just in time to see David and Emma attempting to restrain the stricken Snow from running to her oldest and dearest friend. Though both golden-haired Charmings looked nearly as devastated as Snow did, Regina regarded them with gratitude at the perceptiveness that had prompted them to block the progress of their dark headed matriarch. Somehow they understood that this was something she needed to face alone.

Once more Regina began to move, her feet were leaden as if weights were strapped to her ankles. Each step required an inordinate amount of effort. Filled with a trepidation that intensified with every disquieting thump of her hear heart, by the time she at last arrived before a frighteningly still Ruby, she was noticeably trembling.

The up close details of the abuse her partner had endured nearly did Regina in. Halting before Ruby's still form, she allowed her eyes to take in every inch of what was once flawless porcelain skin, skin with which she was intimately acquainted. That perfect canvass upon which she so loved to paint her devotion was marred by cuts, burns, and stab wounds that were likely to leave ugly scars behind. To see Ruby so mutilated sent Regina vacillating violently between maddened rage and crushing grief.

Eyes flickering up, she searched Ruby's face for any signs of life. With her head dangling limply as it was and a curtain of tangled hair obscuring her view, Regina had to angle her own head to make out the familiar features of her partner's face. She could see from her new perspective that Ruby's eyes were closed, her mouth was hanging open, and blood was trickling in tiny droplets from her parched lips and broken nose.

"Ruby?"

Regina's voice sounded foreign to her when she spoke, rough and cracking and lacking any confidence whatsoever. It very accurately reflected what she was feeling inside. Ruby remained hauntingly still. Afraid to touch her unresponsive partner for fear it would make everything real, Regina lifted her hands to ghost them over grossly mangled flesh.

Despite all appearances that her efforts would be wasted and that she was too late, she acted on instinct, summoning her magic to seal and repair what injuries she could. The sickeningly large puddle of blood on the floor indicated that Ruby was likely already dead, but she nonetheless felt compelled to stem the weeping wounds immediately. If there was any chance left of restoring Ruby to life once more, she could not afford to permit the loss of any more of the precious, life giving fluid.

After mending many of the minor wounds on Ruby's upper torso, and while also being careful to avoid jostling the blade jutting out from her chest, Regina worked her way down to the flat planes of Ruby's stomach. There they paused, hovering over the area and shaking more prominently than before. She swallowed down a lump of startlingly acute fear as she projected her magic forward, reaching out with it to seek the life she now knew was growing inside her lover's womb – the twin to the one in her own.

As her magic touched the nascent life, she could feel the faint stirring of energy which indicated it still lived, but she could also sense that it was fading rapidly. What was worse was that she could not feel Ruby's signature at all, an unwelcome confirmation of her subconscious deduction. Pressing her fingers to the pulse point in Ruby's neck, Regina was at last confronted with the truth she had been so desperately avoiding. Ruby's heart was not beating. Ruby was dead.

Torn asunder by an all encompassing sorrow, her mouth dropped open in a silent, horrified sob as tears began to cascade down her face, rivulets of soul-crushing despair translated into the physical. She could feel her heart begin to rupture from the inside out due to the enormous weight of grief that was threatening to swallow her whole.

At the fringes of her conscious mind, the looming void of insanity opened its welcoming arms to her and she could feel her spirit drawn toward to its embrace. She began to swirl helplessly around the black vortex. For several long moments, she teetered precariously on the edge of being consumed.

But then the energy signature of the child – their child; hers and Ruby's – began to pulsate frenetically as if searching for her, beseeching its other progenitor to intervene before all hope was lost. Steeling herself against the powerful desire to sink head over heel into the darkness, Regina ripped her thoughts away from its seductive pull.

 _It_ _'s not over yet_ , she reminded herself. Regina Mills was not a quitter. She was not ready to give up, nor was she prepared to so easily let go of Ruby after fighting for so hard to find her and working so diligently with her to construct the happy life they now inhabited. This would not, could not be the end of their story. She simply would not allow it.

Regina surveyed the situation, grim with determination. It was fairly clear to her from the position of the blade Joshua had struck Ruby with that it likely pierced her heart. Wracking her brain for a solution, it suddenly occurred to her that so long as Ruby's magical heart was still intact, any damage that might have occurred to the physical organ could be repaired, and her heart then restarted. Also, judging by how little time had passed since she felt the phantom pain, brain damage from oxygen deprivation was not yet an issue. There was still a chance to save Ruby. Luckily, Regina was an old pro at removing hearts, and even though she was less adept at fixing them than crushing them, she was proficient enough at healing to get the job done.

However, because there was literally no time to lose, she knew she had to act hastily. Because what needed to be done was such a complex undertaking, she was going to require assistance, more particularly in the form of Emma's extraordinarily potent light magic. And although Regina hated having to rely on the Savior for help, she had no choice. Too much was on the line for pride to enter into the equation.

"Emma," she called out in a harsh, commanding tone. Her voice was once again recognizable. "Come here. Now!"

When Emma reached Regina's side, she heard the Savior gasp in horror and then gag reflexively at the extensive disfigurement of her friend's body. After the wave passed, Emma pressed a hand to her mouth to hold in the sick and then cursed under her breath.

"We don't have time for you to be sick, Miss Swan. Pull yourself together."

Regina's terse bark prompted Emma to gather herself. With a semi-coherent glance, Emma shook her head as if to clear it of cobwebs, then began breathing deeply through her nose. It was an exercise designed to find her center – one that Regina had taught her many years before when Emma was still a virtual novice. As the Savior steadied herself, her eyes clenched tightly shut against the awful spectacle of Ruby's predicament. _Good girl_ , Regina thought, _concentrate._ After a few moments of forced and regulated breathing, Emma's eyes finally opened once again, full of renewed resolve.

"Okay, what do you need me to do?" she then asked. Regina was proud of how strong she sounded. Emma really had grown into quite a capable woman.

"First, we're going to get her down from here," Regina answered, snarling as she gestured to the manacles that were biting cruelly into Ruby's wrists. With a flick of her fingers, Regina magicked a blanket on the filthy ground a few feet away from her injured girlfriend. "And then we are going to get her on the ground. I want her out of these chains."

With a nod, Emma approached Ruby's left side with Regina on the right. Gently wrapping her arms around Ruby's waist, Emma nodded at Regina, indicating she was ready to proceed.

"Alright, get ready," Regina said as she secured her own arms around Ruby just beneath her breasts, careful not to disturb the weapon that still protruded from her chest. After incanting a simple spell, the manacles opened up, releasing all of Ruby's weight onto Regina and Emma. Though Ruby was not overweight by any means, she was dense with muscle and under the dead weight, both women swayed momentarily.

"Easy," Regina instructed as they recovered their balance, and it was a minor miracle that they managed not to jostle the scythe as they regained their footing.

"Don't worry, I got her," Emma replied, grunting with effort.

Once Ruby's body was stabilized between them, they began to maneuver over to the blanket Regina had summoned. Upon reaching it, they worked together seamlessly to deposit Ruby upon it as gently as possible. Lowering herself to kneel next to Ruby's prone form, Regina then smoothed a clump of matted brown hair away from her girlfriend's battered and swollen face, wanting so badly to gather Ruby up in her arms and hold her until the end of time. She only refrained because she had already wasted too much as it was.

"Alright, Emma. I'm going to remove the weapon with my magic," Regina then instructed, "and then we are going to heal the life-threatening wounds so that I can attempt restart her heart." Emma looked skeptical as to how this was to be done, but wisely did not question Regina's course of action. "All you need to do is focus on healing the external injuries. Leave the internal work to me." When Emma nodded that she understood, Regina rose and then backed away a pace. Extending her hands out toward Ruby, she glanced at the Savior one last time. "Are you ready?"

Emma copied Regina's movements, and once she was in position, replied, "Ready."

With a wave of her hand, Regina removed the scythe and with another subsequent wave, she destroyed it tauntingly in a puff of purple fire right in front of Joshua's face. In her peripheral vision, she noticed that Emma's hands began to emanate the warm, glowing magic of True Love, which then permeated the area around Ruby's body until it formed a pulsing bubble of translucent white light.

Focusing her attention back on Ruby, Regina noticed that due to the power of Emma's magic, the gaping on her chest left behind from the scythe's removal had already began to close, and along with it the worst of the cuts and burns that had tarnished Ruby's skin.

Wielding her own magic, Regina's brow furrowed in concentration as she began to work internally to stem the bleeding and repair the broken bones in her ribs, fingers, nose, cheek, and then finally set about resealing the pierced portion of Ruby's sternum. Once she was satisfied the job was done, she gathered her right arm back to tuck against her side. Palms remaining toward Ruby, she gathered energy for the most critical phase of the operation.

When she had accrued the necessary amount of power, she returned to her knees at Ruby's side and then gently pushed her right hand into Ruby's now fully restored chest. The only evidence remaining of her ordeal was a puckered scar in the shape of a crescent moon just above her heart.

Once her hand was beyond the surface, Regina wrapped her fingers around the dreadfully still heart inside. Although she was not shocked by the tear on the upper of its surface, she balked for a brief second at realizing that the portion of Ruby's magical heart coinciding with the physical one was also torn. It should not have been possible. Weapons made of steel could not damage magical hearts.

Completely confused, Regina felt her plan begin to unravel, and quite against her will, thoughts began to circulate in her mind as to what she would do if she was unsuccessful in reviving Ruby. The most probable outcome of her failure was that she would snap and take out her irrepressible fury on Joshua Woods. She was very likely to get creative with his death, as there were already several options on how to dispose of him floating about in the back of her mind. None of them would be considered humane and all would serve to both amuse and sate the bloodthirst of the Queen she kept so tightly bound in the deepest recesses of her mind.

Whether or not she came down after that was honestly down to a 50/50 chance. Those were not good odds for the future of Storybrooke. Regina did not want to become the Evil Queen again, but she could already feel that psychotic part of herself starting to take over. If she could not revive Ruby, what would stop her from succumbing in totality? Who could reason with the unhinged and murderous psychopath she would become? Would anyone be safe? Her friends? Granny? Henry?

She was genuinely afraid of what she might do should the worst happen, and it made her sick that so precipitous a fall was even a possibility. But it was. She had done so once before. And after all, as her detractors often pointed out, history loved to repeat itself, and people did not change.

Yet however truth there was in such dismal thoughts, they were not only harmful to her psyche, but they were counterproductive to the matter at hand. Regina could not afford them.

Refocusing herself, she pushed her magic in and around the wound on Ruby's heart, and then commanded it to rejuvenate the damage to both the physical and magical organ. Immediately, the physical heart responded as the thick muscle began knitting itself back together until it was made whole once more. But to Regina's dismay Ruby's magical heart resisted her attempt to repair it. Concentrating with all of her might, she tried again to no avail. Another 3 attempts were met with similar results.

Growing despondent, she glanced at Joshua who was shaking in his magical bonds. It wasn't, Regina recognized, out of fear. Though no sound could be heard due to her having magically paralyzed his vocal chords, she could tell he was laughing maniacally.

Like lightning, she sprung from the ground, bolting over to stand imperiously in front of him. Her visage was a thundering cloud of turbulent emotions. Whipping her hand forward, she grasped him by the chin so tightly that she could feel her nails biting into his skin.

"What did you do?" she demanded, her hatred of him now roiling. Snapping her fingers, she unleashed his voice so that he could answer her. Terrible laughter rang out across the basement, ringing and echoing off the walls. It was the sound of a madman's victory.

"You can't save her," he said, insanity coloring his entire being. "The blade was made from enchanted silver just like the bullet I shot her with to prevent her transformation. She's dead and she's not coming back. I delight in the irony that you can't fix the magical aspect of the heart you so specialize in."

Enraged, Regina screamed and lashed out, raking her nails across Joshua's face. A line of blood began to flow from the significant trenches of violated flesh she created. Again he laughed before suddenly spitting in her face. The affront on top of her grief over Ruby caused Regina's vision to shift into a haze of red. After silencing Joshua once again, she drew her hand back to plunge it into his chest but was stopped by a feather-lite touch on her shoulder.

Whirling around, she was confronted by Snow's tender face. Looking up at Regina through liquid, pain-filled eyes, she shook her head in the negative. Regina made to wrench her arm away indignantly, but there was something else in Snow's expression that forestalled her: hope. She should not have been surprised to see it, but she was.

"Regina, don't," Snow said cautiously. "You can't listen to him. He's clearly out of his mind and taunting you to kill him. Please don't sink to his level."

As if someone had pulled the plug on a bathtub drain, Regina's rage dumped out of her in a rush. A sob tore its way out of her mouth before she could stop it and she clutched at her chest in a futile effort to hold in the enormous amount of anguish threatening to engulf her system.

"But you heard him! Ruby is _dead!_ " she lamented, feeling as if there were a gaping hole in her that could never be sealed, no matter how many lives she took, no matter how many worlds she burned to the ground. "I can't fix her. I can't fix her heart, Snow! What am I going to do? It's Daniel all over again!"

Frightfully close to losing her mind, Regina pulled at her hair in a desperate attempt to stay grounded. But despite the specter of impending madness, Snow just stood there, gently rubbing her distraught stepmother's back.

"That's true," she replied, her voice smooth and soft and full of light. "You can't fix Ruby's heart. But then again, there was a time that I couldn't fix David's either. Do you remember that?"

When the implication registered, Regina's eyes shot up to see an astounding sagacity radiating across her former stepdaughter's face.

"Of course," Regina gasped, and then cupped Snow's full face between her hands. With as much affection as she could muster placed a sloppy kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, Snow!"

With a pretty blush, Snow ducked her gaze, smiled up at Regina, and then indicated toward Ruby with her head.

"Go save our girl."

In an instant, Regina was back kneeling next to Ruby once again. Daring to hope, she inserted her hand back into Ruby's chest and carefully removed her girlfriend's irreparable heart. As she pulled it out, a terrible sense of deja vu descended over her. All of the sudden she was back in the stables in Storybrooke that terrible day when Daniel had been revived by Victor Whale. And just like that day, Regina was being forced to destroy the heart of her True Love. It seemed a tragically common theme for her.

Tormented by both memory and reality, tears cascaded down her cheeks. With an expression of absolute agony on her features, Regina squeezed her fingers together. Just as with Daniel's years ago, Ruby's heart disintegrated into dust and she allowed the powdery remains slide through her fingers to the floor. A half-sob, half-gasp tore from her lips as the last of it slid through, and Regina sat back on her folded up legs.

Lifting her face toward the heavens, she wailed out her sorrow and unleashed the absolute loathing she felt toward whatever power existed to make her endure such suffering.

"Is this enough?!" she screamed, irate and broken and just a little bit crazy. "Have I suffered enough yet for your liking?! Have you taken enough from me yet?!"

But then she remembered the alternative solution Snow had indirectly proposed, and she knew she had to rein herself in lest she lose her chance to act.

After permitting herself a final defiant scream, Regina then plunged her hand into her own chest. A pained gasp escaped her lips as she wrenched out her heart and then held it out in front of her. Cupped gently in her hand, the once black organ was now glowing and pulsing a bright, healthy red over a bit more than half of its surface. Realizing what she was seeing, her face crumbled all over again.

It was a marvel. Large spots of black still remained on her heart – and Regina knew that not matter how much time passed, it would never regain its former wholeness – and yet it had healed more rapidly and thoroughly than she could have ever imagined. Henry had a large part in what she was seeing, she knew, but so did Ruby. Thanks to the love of the incredible woman lying dead right next to her, her heart was no longer consumed by the corrupting emotions that had once ruled her. Along with Henry, Ruby was managing to do the impossible by renewing the hardened heart of the Evil Queen.

But then another thought occurred to Regina. If what she was about to attempt worked, Ruby would quite literally become her heart, and it made her think of Snow's words back in the Enchanted Forest. When she had begged Regina to break her heart in two to share with David, reasoning to a skeptical Regina that they had been of one heart since he awoke her with True Love's kiss. At the time, Regina had recognized in a shallow way what Snow was saying, but now she understood them in a deep and visceral way in which she couldn't before. Her heart was no longer her own, for it was now just as much Ruby's as hers.

As it was with Snow then, so it was with Regina now: there was no decision to be made. And in that moment, Regina swore to herself that if the procedure worked and her werewolf lived again, she would devote the rest of her life to Ruby's happiness.

"Wait a sec, Regina," Emma said beside her, gesturing to Regina's heart which was clutched in her hand. "What are you doing?"

"What I must," was her clipped reply.

With a quick, efficient motion, Regina split her heart into two halves. The terrific pain that resulted from the sundering elicited a grunt of protest. Her face twisted in agony. Slightly panting, she returned her eyes to the halved organ and gasped. The black spots that were once present were suddenly missing on one half, and the other had only one notable blemish.

"What…?" she gaped, unable to explain the dramatic improvement in the state of her heart.

"It's because of what you're doing," Snow said, her own eyes filled with awe. "You are giving half of yourself away to save the person you love the most. Letting Henry go with Emma was a truly heroic and courageous act, Regina, but this is different. This is life changing. This is what it means to have True Love: to be willing to literally share your heart with the person who makes you whole. You have healed your own heart by giving it away. Oh, Regina, I'm so proud of you!"

Tears sprung to Regina's lids and she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. However much it meant to her that the act of selfless love had healed her once mostly black heart, the fact remained that Ruby was still dead. Returning her attention to her too-still partner, she pressed her hand forward and gently deposited the unsullied half of her heart into Ruby's chest. Once that was done, she replaced the other slightly corrupted half in her own. She then sat back to observe with anticipation.

Several long, agonizing moments passed in which nothing happened. Regina could feel the half of her heart in her own chest beating steadily, yet Ruby remained frustratingly lifeless. Averting her face to take a steadying breath, Regina felt defeat begin to creep up on her.

But then Emma gasped in surprise and Regina glanced at the Savior to see her gazing down at Ruby with a look of absolute wonderment. When Regina turned her own eyes down, they were met by Ruby's beautiful green irises, which were shuttered briefly behind her lids as she blinked in confusion.

"'Gina?" she slurred out with a raspy voice.

Regina laughed through tears of joy, smiling so widely she felt her face might split. "Hi," she whispered, her hand reaching out to delicately touch Ruby's bruised face.

"Hi y'self," Ruby replied, and leaned with a sigh into Regina's touch. "Knew you'd...find me. What happ'nd?"

Regina was tempted to scold Ruby for that obnoxious phrase, but refrained from doing so. She was simply too happy to care that she was living a patented Charming Hallmark moment. Before she could answer, Regina watched Ruby's face momentarily contort.

"Wait a minute," she gasped, enunciation returning with the slight injection of adrenaline. She clutched at the spot on her chest that the scythe had penetrated. "Was I...dead?"

Regina bit her lip. "Yes, you were. But I'll explain later. For now, you're okay and that's all that matters." For various reasons, Regina had no intention of explaining to Ruby – ever – that they now shared one heart. But Ruby didn't need to know that.

"I guess you're right," Ruby replied, smiling painfully as she glanced around the room. What she saw broke the bubble she had been in with Regina. Seeing they were not alone, she glanced at each of the other occupants of the room and then back down at herself with comically wide eyes. "Aww, hell! I'm naked!"

Regina bit back a chuckle as she proceeded to wrap Ruby up in the blanket she had laid her on. "That was the least of our concerns, darling," she said, bending down to kiss her flushed partner tenderly on the lips. It did Regina much good to see color returning to Ruby's ashen skin.

When Regina pulled away, Ruby tried to lean up in order to chase her lips but fell back to the ground with a groan. "My back!" she gasped, her face scrunched up in agony.

"What wrong with your back, sweetheart?" Regina asked carefully. She had been so focused on getting Ruby to the ground in order to heal her that she had not taken notice of any injuries to her back. After all, seeing the destruction done to the front of Ruby's torso had been more than enough to make her ill.

Ruby's eyes clenched shut again the torment she was experiencing. He...whipped...me," she bit out loudly enough that everyone in the room could hear. The discomfort was so extreme that Regina watched Ruby's eyes glass over.

Those three words caused Regina's face to drain of all color as she felt something in her mind snap. Not only had Ruby been humiliated by being hung naked in the middle of the room, not only had she been burned, cut, and stabbed from what she could tell, but Joshua had the audacity to whip her like an animal. It was too much.

The room stilled as she turned her head to glare menacingly at the warped individual who had dared to lay a hand on what belonged to her. At the sudden shift of her demeanor, the already cold air in the basement plummeted as if it were turned to ice.

"You whipped her?" she asked coldly. So that he could answer, she once again dispelled his silence.

"Isn't that what they do to untamed beasts?" Joshua retorted with a satisfied smirk. "And here I was so certain I followed the correct protocol."

Regina stood and fixed rapidly blackening eyes on him. "You think this is a joke?"

Joshua laughed, his face nearly split by the wide grin plastered across it. "No, your majesty, I am not joking. I very seriously enjoyed each and every one of the 40 lashes I gave her. She was a very pliable pup after that. Perhaps you'd be interested in taking my whip home for your own personal use?"

Rage consumed Regina, swallowing up what little was left of her restraint. Her face twisted into sneer which bordered on demented and her eyes began to glint with the licking purple flames of her magic. She was Regina no longer. Someone else was clawing her way to the surface to take control. Having been freed by the irrational fury that Joshua's taunting provoked, the Queen emerged.

"Regina, don't!" Ruby gasped through the pain, trying to stave off the inevitable meltdown, but it was pointless. _T_ _he straw_ , Regina thought with ominous satisfaction, _has_ _at last_ _broken the camel's back._

As she lost herself to the seductive power of darkness, a cackle formed somewhere deep inside her chest and erupted out of her mouth. The block walls reflected the sound of the demented levity so that it reverberated around the room, amplifying her sadistic glee.

Having been been suppressing that part of herself for so long, it felt absolutely magnificent to embrace it once again, and for a moment, Regina reveled in the chaotic liberty of being the Evil Queen once more. She particularly enjoyed the diametric shift in Joshua's demeanor as he witnessed the change. Where as once he was exultant in his falsely perceived victory, he was now quaking in terror.

 _Good, let him tremble,_ her malevolent self rumbled, _let him fear. Soon he will know true pain._ _Soon I will bathe in his blood and delight in his screams, and after_ _he will be swallowed by the chill of the_ _grave_ _._

Sneering balefully, Regina felt a rush of excitement when Joshua very obviously gulped. His reaction further fueled her madness. He was now as helpless before her as a lamb set for slaughter, and she was his unmerciful butcher.

Bearing her gleaming white teeth, she allowed her expression to shift into a positively feral grin. "You're a dead man." It was a promise Regina fully intended to keep.

* * *

 **Notes** : Whew. *wipes away a bead of sweat* That was a close one, eh? Hopefully Ruby being brought back to life by Regina's sacrifice and the reappearance of the Evil Queen is enough to make up for what I put y'all through the past few chapters. I know it's been hard, but I hope y'all stick with me to the end. I promised a happy ending, and I try my damnedest to never make promises I don't intend to keep.

Next chapter will be Friday probably, and as far as that chapter in concerned, well. Hold on to your hats, folks. The Queen is back and she is PISSED THE HELL OFF. Joshie is in for a world of hurt, methinks. But he deserves it. Bastard.

Hope to hear from y'all before then! Much love! Too-da-loo


	19. The Evil Queen

**Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 18** – The Evil Queen

Unable to move due to the raging pain in her back, Ruby could do nothing but watch as the woman she loved transformed. In the blink of an eye, Regina was gone, having been replaced by the version of herself she had so long repressed and worked so diligently to disassociate from. The Evil Queen was back, and all it had taken to conjure her was one smart-ass comment from a raging lunatic.

A woman of insatiable appetites and unfathomable darkness, Henry's storybook had not been wrong to cast the Evil Queen in the condemnatory designation of a villain. She _was_ one; the worst of them, in fact. Ruby could not think of any other person who had so earned their reputation of being cruel and merciless and without regard for human life. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of lives had been snuffed out by her magic, some in fits of rage, some with callous calculation, and some as collateral damage – that innocents were caught in the crossfire never bothered the Queen so long as they were not children.

To the Evil Queen, there were no innocents aside from those incapable of making decisions for themselves. And while she took great pains to ensure no children were ever harmed by her or her men, that was the limit of her compassion. Soldiers and civilians, men and women, young and old, she made no differentiation between her enemies. All who dared to oppose her, in whatever form it may take, were damned alike to suffer the consequences.

Entire villages had been reduced to ash for the unpardonable sin of harboring Snow White. There was one particular incident Ruby remembered very well. It happened right after Regina had almost caught her and Snow in a village near the western fringes of the kingdom. Concealed in the safety of a sturdy pine tree they had climbed after sneaking their way past a squad of heavily armed Black Knights, they watched as Regina had each adult brought out to her in the tiny village square for interrogation.

It took hours for the Queen to ferret out the few friendly villagers who had showed her enemies the unforgivable kindness of the first warm bed and hot meal Ruby and Snow had enjoyed in weeks. Once she identified the culprits, though, she not did not bother with the pretense of a show trial. After having all of those poor people lined up on their knees before her, she simply drew her sword and ran them through one at a time, cleaning the blood from her blade on the shoulders of her next victim before adding their life to her ever-growing tally. Once the guilty were all dead, the rest of the villagers were displaced with what little they could carry in their arms or on their pack animals, and then the village was put to the torch, punishment for having harbored fugitives. The bodies of the murdered 'traitors' were left to burn along with the homes they had built by the sweat of their brows.

Although Regina's fiscal management of the kingdom was never in question, and she made many changes that were progressive to benefit the disenfranchised, the kind of barbarism displayed that day was what came to define Regina's rule as the Queen. She showed no quarter to her enemies, very rarely took prisoners, and had no qualms about getting her own hands dirty. In fact, she seemed to rather enjoy causing suffering, for back then, the only time Regina ever looked happy was when she was hurting someone.

Ruby used to wonder what could cause a person to become so depraved. In her brief encounter with the Queen on the mountain, she had been captivated by the woman's quick wit and incredible beauty, and it had been difficult to imagine the imposing, regal, and charming person she'd met could be the same cold-blooded killer she had heard so many tales about. It was only her front row seat to Regina's slaughter of so many innocents that cured Ruby of her inability to reconcile the Queen's complexities with reality.

Much later on, however, Ruby learned the truth of how Regina came to be the Evil Queen. Snow, of course, had told her about Daniel long ago, since she loved to wax poetic about the wonderful, kind, and brave woman Regina used to be. But Ruby was soon to find out how limited Snow's perspective was not long after becoming intimate with Regina. Having gained finally her full trust, Ruby was clued in to the more sordid details regarding Regina's marriage with Snow's father, King Leopold.

The abuse Regina received from him was never overt, but had left its mark on the young Queen just the same. Ruby could remember the first time Regina talked about Leopold, how her entire body grew stiff as a board and her eyes had went dull and glassy as if she felt it necessary to disconnect from the present in order to even mention his name without losing her tight grip on her temper or sinking into abject despair. The detached way she went on to describe her 'required duties' as Queen made Ruby's blood run cold.

The picture Snow had painted of Leopold was of a kindhearted man who ruled fairly and justly and doted on his family with a loving care few men could rival. But Regina's memory of the king was as a typical man of power who took what he wanted from her and cared little about her otherwise. If she was not playing the replacement mother for Snow, hanging on his arm like a fancy piece of fleshly jewelery during public functions, or being forced to allow him to have his way with her body whenever his mood was so inclined, she was left alone to her own devices. Isolated from all she cared about in a kingdom that was not hers, in a castle that was little more than her prison, and trapped amongst people she hated with everything fiber of her being, she began to grow despondent and deranged in equal measures. To exacerbate the situation even more, she had still been grieving Daniel's death.

That hopeless, rage-filled woman was the one Rumplestiltskin had pounced upon, utilizing her vulnerability to fashion her into a weapon through which he could reach his beloved son. Of course, Regina hadn't known that at the time. All she knew was that her new mentor was offering her power that would belong to her alone; power that would enable her to defend herself from the husband she loathed and who leveraged his authority to violate her body as many times as he pleased; power to rid herself of the selfish little brat whose inability to keep a secret for one night had cost Regina her chance at freedom and love and a family that could never be taken away from her. Armed with that information, Ruby could see how the temptation would have been simply too much to resist, and therefore she could not at all condemn Regina for the choices she'd made.

But things were different now, and Ruby worried about what the choice Regina was about to make in the present would do to her. In such a state as she was now – that is, with her darker nature having been unfettered and free to act as she pleased – Regina was completely unpredictable and nearly unstoppable. Ruby shuddered when she considered the possibilities as to what Regina had planned for Joshua, knowing that whatever she decided, under the influence as she was, was likely to be appalling.

Ruby's attention was arrested from her contemplation when, with an elegant twirl of her wrist, Regina summoned a thick, cloying purple mist which swirled around her until she was engulfed. When it dissipated a scant moment later, her conversion into the Evil Queen was complete.

No longer was Regina wearing her typically smart business attire, but was clad instead in a lacy, high collared dress the color of midnight and which was adorned with intricate crimson thread-work; the very same hue of red also stained her luscious lips. And where once her raven tresses were a stylish shoulder length, they were now swept up into a dramatically flared bun and dotted with sparkling gems, adding to the ostentatious extravagance the Queen often wished to portray. Her eyelids, rimmed with kohl, were painted a rich purple that flared out beyond her lids to spill over onto her temple, and the darkness of the makeup served to make her brown eyes appear almost as if made of onyx. And in a final touch to complete the ensemble, an opulent silver necklace hung low about her neck, the ruby studded pendant of which dipped teasingly into her alluring cleavage.

Arrayed in all her imperial glory, Regina positively radiated power. Although Regina was a relatively small woman from Ruby's perspective, as the Queen she stood tall, stately, and absolutely intimidating. It had been a very long time since Ruby had been so close to Queen Regina in all her glory, and had she not been in so much pain, she would have been very aroused by the sight. Considering the situation, she wasn't quite sure whether to be ashamed of that or not.

Suddenly, Regina turned to Ruby and looked down at her. For a moment, the coldness typical of the Queen gave way to the doe brown eyes of the love of her life. Regina then cocked her head to the side in an inquisitive manner that Ruby could easily interpret as meaning: "What can I do to help you?"

Still under the grip of pain, Ruby gestured to her left shoulder with her head, disregarding what she was sure was the awful mess of her back. Though the whipping had been brutal and traumatizing, those wounds were mostly superficial. Her enhanced healing would eventually take care of them but for the bullet in her shoulder which was counteracting her preternatural abilities.

"Your shoulder?" Regina asked, voice tight as she knelt gracefully beside Ruby. Her brow was drawn as if upset with herself that she had missed the injury that started it all.

Ruby nodded, whimpering slightly as Regina pulled the blanket away from her shoulder in order to inspected the wound more closely. After studying it a few seconds, she probed the area with her finger to which Ruby protested with a squeak of discomfort.

"I'm sorry, my love," Regina apologized with tender inflection, and then hovered her hand over the perpetually oozing hole in Ruby's left shoulder. "This is going to hurt."

Face furrowing in concentration, Regina began to mutter an imperceptible spell under her breath. As soon as the last words left her lips, Ruby felt a sharp, searing burn followed by a tug within the muscles of her shoulder. It was Regina's magic pulling at the bullet. The pain of the lodged projectile moving inside her shoulder was so intense that Ruby groaned; she clenched her jaw tight to keep from crying out.

After a few brief seconds, the slug pulled free from her shoulder and flew into Regina's waiting hand, and with it's removal came immediate relief. Ruby sighed and her eyes briefly rolled up into her skull. She'd forgotten what it felt like to not have that permanent pain lancing through her shoulder. It was wonderful.

Furthermore, now that the silver bullet preventing her transformation had been removed, she would recover on her own without need for further aid, magical or otherwise. But still, even her ability to heal had its limits. Due to the depth of her trauma, it would take days to fully regain her strength, and as such, she was still virtually incapacitated. No matter what Regina decided to do, Ruby was powerless to stop her.

Still kneeling at Ruby's side, Regina leaned in to gently place a kiss on her lips. Ruby's eyes slid shut as their lips joined together for a lingering kiss from which neither were willing to hastily part. In the back of her mind, Ruby worried about Regina being disgusted by her taste due to the sheer amount of blood and vomit that had passed through her mouth, but she was so relieved to be close to Regina again that she could not bring herself to care. She needed the physical comfort that only Regina could give her and Regina seemed to be more than willing to give it.

As the kiss lingered, Ruby felt a warmth spread down through her back, alleviating the discomfort emanating from that expanse of tattered flesh. Without having been asked to, Regina was mending those wounds as well. Grateful beyond measure, Ruby deepened the kiss, uncaring of her audience, and was satisfied to hear Regina hum appreciatively into her mouth. When the warmth left her back some moments later, Ruby knew that Regina's work was finished.

When at last they parted a moment later, Regina pulled back to peer down at Ruby. The distance allowed Ruby to have an up close view as her girlfriend's demeanor shifted once more. Almost as suddenly as Regina had reemerged to tend to her, the Queen had wrested control again, as was characterized by hardened features and slightly crazed eyes.

"Regina...don't," Ruby preemptively begged, not wanting her beloved partner to backslide in the pursuit of vengeance, no matter how justified it may be.

Becoming the Queen again in any capacity was likely to leave Regina with a mountain sized pile of guilt to deal with later. As selfish as it was, Ruby didn't know how much help she would be when she was going to have her own problems to deal with. There was simply no way for her to have endured so much trauma without suffering any lingering aftershocks or pervasive side-effects. She had been subjected to savagery beyond her ability to comprehend, and coping with that was going to be hard enough without having to worry about Regina losing her damn mind at the drop of a hat.

Feeling like a horrible girlfriend for having such thoughts in the first place, Ruby reached out for Regina, vehemently pleading with her eyes.

"Shh," was Regina's unaffected response. Though her visage somewhat softened, Ruby was under no illusions as to how bad things were fixing to get. Touching a finger to Ruby's lips, she then said, "Just lie here and rest, my darling. There is some trash in this place that needs taking out."

Ruby's lips began to tingle strangely at Regina's touch, but she made no attempt to interrupt Regina, nor did she intervene to prevent her partner, now smoldering with fury, from standing with deliberate movements. Once upright, Regina turned to Joshua and tauntingly brandished the silver slug.

Knowing she had little opportunity left to prevent Regina from taking that first step down a very slippery slope, Ruby tried one last time to beg her girlfriend to reconsider. Opening her mouth the speak, she was horrified to discover her voice no longer worked. Unbeknownst to her, Regina had silenced her in much the same manner as she had Joshua. Ruby was incensed at being muzzled against her will, but even more so was scared by Regina's need to prevent her from speaking.

Was what she had planned so bad that she couldn't abide hearing Ruby's protests? If so, it did not bode well for what was to come, serving as a sort of confirmation of Ruby's assessment of the situation. Regina was likely to kill Joshua, and in a gruesome manner that would leave an indelible imprint on everyone who bore witness to the act.

Unable to voice her objections, Ruby watched with a sinking gut as Regina turned her full attention solely on Joshua.

"An enchanted silver bullet," she then hissed, rolling the petal-tipped slug around in her fingers.

Ruby's newly developed cop senses recognized the deformation in the bullet as the result of it having hit her shoulder. Because the projectile was fired from an older weapon, it had lacked the velocity necessary to pass through her body, and since silver was a softer metal, it had flared and fragmented upon impact, producing the bloom like effect. It almost looked similar to pictures she had seen of Civil War bullets, which were made of lead, another soft metal. Judging by the horrific injuries suffered in that bloody conflict, Ruby was rather lucky the bullet had not obliterated the bones in her shoulder.

"I suppose I'll give you credit for that," Regina continued to Joshua, still rolling the bullet around in her fingers. "The spell woven into it is rather crude, but I'll bet you're still just oh-so-satisfied with yourself, aren't you?"

"You have to admit, it worked," Joshua retorted, directing a smirk toward Ruby. The Queen snarled defensively. "I'd say that qualifies as intelligent planning."

"You think so, do you?" Regina replied rhetorically, still displaying visible signs of her legendary temper. Her entire body was taut as a band fit to snap and the vein in her forehead was pulsing with each beat of her heart. "Well, allow me illuminate your error in assessment," she went on. "What you have done today was not intelligent at all, Mr. Woods. Rather, you have only revealed a remarkable absence of it."

Joshua startled as the Queen uttered his name, hateful eyes fixed on her prey.

Regina laughed at his dumbstruck expression as she began to walk a slow, circuitous route toward him, taking one step here and one step there before pausing to speak and then moving forward once more. "That's right," she said as she did so, "I remember you for the pathetic gnat that you are. Did you honestly believe that I wouldn't recognize you? That I wouldn't hunt you down once I realized what you'd done? I have to wonder: do you not know who I am or are you simply a moron?"

At that, she paused for a moment, tilting her head as if in disbelief at Joshua's stupidity, and then went on, "Have you never heard tale of what I am capable of? Obviously not or you would not have been so reckless. Perhaps you have merely been lulled into a false sense of security regarding my evil proclivities, as have many of the foolish plebeians in this town. If so, be assured that however long they have lain dormant, I am still the same Queen entire realms learned to fear. You should not have forgotten who I am."

"I don't care who you are," Joshua spat, looking nearly as disgusted at Regina, Ruby thought, as he had at her.

"Oh, but you should," Regina answered calmly, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised. "You should care _very_ much. I am your Queen. Your life is mine to take or spare."

"You're not my Queen," he countered. "I never recognized your rule. You never cared about us. Where were you when your little bitch was out slaughtering our livestock and murdering our fathers and brothers and sisters? You're a usurper is what you are. A king slayer. A pretender queen on a throne never meant to belong to you."

Growling, Regina waved her hand, silencing Joshua once more, though he tried with all his might to continue ranting. Regina's face, on the other hand, went frighteningly still.

"I've heard quite enough out of you for now," she said. "You should learn to be respectful of your Queen, as well as of her lover. I could kill you for those seditious words alone, but I will grant you the mercy of this reply:

"You are correct in your assessment that I did not care about you or your family or your village. I had a kingdom to run and a bandit princess to hunt. Such concerns were trifles at best. _But..._ had I learned of Ruby then, I _would_ have done something about her, and I'll tell you what I would have done. I would have rescued her from that squalid little borough you called home, brought her to my castle, lavished her with whatever her heart desired, trained her to master her gifts, taken her into my employ and then into my bed, and thereafter raised her up to rule at my side. Together, we would have done _marvelous_ things."

Ruby visibly started at that speech. Regina had never confided such thoughts to her before. She had to admit, they were not in any way unpleasant to fantasize about.

Ruby loved Snow, she really did, and she cherished the time they had spent together on the run, learning how to survive and growing as close as two people can be without being related by blood. But had she been given the choice between Snow and the scenario Regina was offering, she was not at all sure she would have chosen Snow. In fact, as vulnerable as she had been at the time, she was pretty sure she would have succumbed to Regina's magnetic personality and overpowering sexuality without much of a fight.

It made for a nice thought, ruling the kingdom at Regina's side, but it was not what had happened.

"Sadly, fate had determined another course for us," Regina then said, as if on the same wavelength, and it made Ruby feel all the more closer to her, despite how off the rails she currently was. "But whether you acknowledge my right to the throne or not, I am your Queen. And you are about to become reacquainted with the authority and power I alone am qualified to wield.

"You have acted as if we were still in the Old World, set out to avenge offenses committed there, and thus you shall be judged in accordance with the laws of that land. Laws I alone set. Laws I enforce as I please."

Straightening her shoulders, Regina adopted her most imperious posture, eyes set as if made of stone. Haughty, emotionless, and completely devoid of compassion, she then pronounced, "Therefore as your Queen, I find you guilty not only of the attempted murder of your sovereign, but of the abduction, torture, and murder of her lover. Your punishment then, Mr. Woods, will most certainly fit the crime."

Joshua's discernible reaction to Regina's speech almost pleased Ruby. Were the circumstances different, she was sure she would have enjoyed watching the blood drain out of his face as he realized the enemy he had made. As it was, though, she was too concerned for Regina to feel anything but raw dread. She was literally witnessing Regina unravel in front of her very eyes, and because she was no stranger to Regina's long-held fear of succumbing to the darkness once again, Ruby knew that whatever was about to transpire would haunt Regina for the rest of her days.

In that moment Ruby wanted nothing more than to stop her out-of-control girlfriend from doing something she would regret. But along with being unable to speak, she was hit by a wave of weakness that rendered her unable to even lift her own head. The faint amount of adrenaline left over from when she realized she had died faded completely. It had picked the worst time in history, and now her body was crashing, demanding to be given the recuperative rest it so desperately needed.

Though she hated being so helpless, even if she could have done something, it likely would have no effect whatsoever. Ruby was not ignorant to the bitter reality that Regina was beyond reason for the time being. Being so excessively angered had opened the door for the darkness to slip through, and it wasted no time in overtaking her. All that was left for Ruby to do, then, was to hold on to the hope that Regina would curb herself before she went too far.

Those hopes were sadly soon to be dashed when Regina stepped even closer to Joshua, who upon noticing the Queen's ill intent began to struggle against the magic keeping him bound. He was stopped cold when Regina opened her left hand palm side up and placed the silver bullet in it. Extending her left arm out, she made a show of presenting the bullet to Joshua's attention, eyeing it with a malefic glee that made Ruby shiver all over.

With a wave of Regina's other hand, the bullet was levitated about six inches in the air, and after reforming into its original shape, began bobbing up and down every few seconds in a manner meant to induce systemic terror. Regina said nothing, merely stared on hatefully, but her silence spoke in equal volume with the menacing tint to her features.

Without any warning whatsoever, she then flung the bullet at Joshua in a fluid and almost effortless motion. It shot from her hand propelled by her dark magic, piercing through the air to lodge itself in Joshua's left shoulder. Screaming through his throat at the impact due to his inability to vocalize, Joshua jerked within the magical bonds, his body responding to the trauma in the only way it could.

Giving a satisfied grin, Regina held out her arm to extended it toward him and then began to shape her hand as if her fingers were wrapping around an object, slowly and deliberately closing. In response to the action, Ruby heard Joshua begin to choke and noticed that his face was turning more and more red with each passing second. For a moment she was confused by the turn of events but then it suddenly dawned on her what was happening: Regina was actually strangling Joshua with her magic.

Considering the silhouette that was currently being cast on the cement block wall to which Joshua was restrained and that Regina was all resplendently decked out in black as she lashed out with her magic, it occurred to Ruby that her girlfriend rather resembled a feminine version of Darth Vader minus all the machinery. All that was lacking was the famous line, "I find your lack of faith disturbing." Now, perhaps it was due to the stress of being tortured or her considerable blood loss, but for whatever reason Ruby found herself contemplating the fact that if the situation was not so macabre, Regina's impressive display of her power would have been incredibly hot.

Transfixed, she watched Regina stalk over slowly to where Joshua was suspended, still strangling him as she advanced. With each step her hips swayed dramatically, causing the fabric of her skirt to swish and roll with the movement. Like the hypnotizing movement of a snake charmer's flute, it was all too alluring to Ruby's addled brain.

As she watched Regina approach Joshua, Ruby caught Snow start to move toward Regina with objection in her eyes. It was clear that her ever optimistic friend was still hoping to help Regina see sense, and while it was a nice thought, the efforts were doomed to be wasted. However, much to Ruby's surprise, both David and Emma intervened to stop Snow from confronting Regina. It was a wise move on their part. With Regina in such a state, Ruby was not confident that anyone could reason with her, and was equally concerned that Regina would be unable to discern between friend and foe and lash out at the person who dared to interfere.

As she looked over at her friends, Ruby noticed that David's face was fairly well trained, though to Ruby's perceptive eyes there were a myriad of emotions running through him, foremost of which was a barely concealed anger that had his temples throbbing and his jaw clenching. It was to be expected. David was like a brother to her, so she was not surprised to see him fit to be tied over what Joshua had done, though she was very surprised by his lack of motivation to stop Regina from doing whatever she planned on doing.

But while David's reaction was somewhat predictable, Emma's was not. In all the years Ruby had known the Savior, she had never seen such hatred on the woman's face, even for their most heinous of enemies. Before all of this happened, she had believed Emma to be incapable of so insidious and invasive an emotion. Clearly she was wrong.

After witnessing what Ruby would forevermore refer to as the basement of horrors, Emma seemed content to allow Regina as much leeway as she needed, seemed to believe Joshua deserved whatever fate his one woman judge, jury, and executioner decided to mete out to him. It was disconcerting to say the least and troubled Ruby very deeply to the point that she was concerned for her friend. Regina was already likely to blemish her conscience, the last thing Ruby wanted was for Emma to do so as well. She was not sure she could live with that kind of guilt. But nonetheless, Emma seemed set on her course of action, and if Ruby knew anything about Emma, it was that once she made a decision, she stuck with it.

As they gathered a distraught Snow into their arms, both Emma and David then glanced sadly in Ruby's direction before ushering Snow out of sight. It felt so surreal for Ruby to watch the perpetually heroic, ever hopeful, and often moralizing Charming family openly enable the very darkness in Regina that they had expended so much effort in helping her overcome. And while Ruby tried to smile back at them as their gazes met, she found that she couldn't. No matter how much she hated what Joshua had done to her, she could not condone what she knew Regina was about to do, yet she was also powerless to stop it. It was all just so unreal that she could barely even process her own thoughts.

Still, she hoped that Emma and David at least saw a measure of gratitude in her eyes for having come to her rescue because she truly was grateful. She hoped Snow knew that as well. She would never forget that when she needed them most – when Regina had needed them the most – they were there, and had not hesitated to risk their lives to help. Tonight they had proven themselves as true friends not only to Ruby but to Regina as well, and because of that, Ruby considered herself indebted to them. She didn't know how she would ever pay them back, but she was determined to try.

After watching her friends disappear around the corner, a scream of enraged anguish from Joshua startled Ruby's focus back to Regina. While Ruby's attention was elsewhere, Regina had somehow magicked Joshua into the very same manacles that he had suspended her from. With an amused smirk, she snapped her fingers to remove the silencing enchantment.

"Any last words?" she asked, and then began to cackle as Joshua began to avidly curse them both as he dangled helplessly before the Queen. Clutching her sides with mirth, Regina continued laughing, completely unfazed as his outbursts devolved into such colorful language that Ruby was sure even Hook would blush like a sheltered maiden.

Once Joshua's vitriol mercifully ebbed, a malicious grin spread over Regina's face and she bared her perfectly white teeth like the predator that she was.

"As I was saying before getting sidetracked by your identity, your plan was indeed flawed," she said, carefully measuring out her words for maximum effect. As she spoke, she intermittently lashed out at Joshua with her magic, causing him to grunt or gasp at each invisible attack. "I only say this because I need you to understand what a colossal waste of biological matter you are. First of all, you tried to catch Ruby alone at the house and failed, and when that happened, you decided to take advantage of the opportunity to remove me from the board. You then utilized my temporary incapacitation to lure her into your clutches. I would say, 'Bravo and well played', but as should be made obvious by your current predicament, that was inevitably proven to be a very foolish thing to do."

"Ha!" Joshua barked, grunting through substantial pain. His face twisted into an ugly grin. "Maybe I am a fool but I am no failure, your _Majesty_ ," he acidly spat out the honorific as if it tasted like sick. "I succeeded. I came for vengeance and I got it. Don't you see? It doesn't matter that she didn't stay dead. After what I did to her, she'll never be the same again. She'll never forget what I did, and you know it just as well as I do. I've marked her for life. Just remember that the next time you touch her and feel all of those ugly scars."

The words, while ostensibly meant to provoke Regina, cut Ruby to the bone. How many hours had she spent lying in bed as Regina explored every available inch of her exposed flesh? Regina always made a point of telling Ruby just how much she loved her complexion, so much a contrast to her own naturally glowing olive one. To be honest, Ruby had never thought that much about her skin tone and had never really cared what anyone else thought of it. She was comfortable in it and that's all that had mattered. But in a society obsessed with spray tans and tanning beds and year round golden hues, Regina's complimentary attitude made her extra appreciative of the covering she'd been born with.

Now, however, all of that seemed to be ruined. Her skin was ruined. Glancing down at the bloody mess that was her body, Ruby shuddered. Regina and Emma had done an admirable job closing her wounds, but she could still make out enough scarring that she was nauseated. And that was not the mention the wounds out of her line of sight. Regina had healed her back during their kiss, but Ruby could still feel the presence of welts and lines of raised scar tissue.

How then, she wondered, would it ever be possible to look in a mirror without being thoroughly disgusted by what she saw? More importantly, would Regina ever again desire her considering how grotesquely blemished she now was? Would Regina be too repulsed to even touch her?

Tears stung Ruby's eyes at the image of loathing she began to picture on Regina's face. In that split second, it was almost like she was there in her mind's eye, no longer shivering on a blood-stained blanket over a nasty floor but naked on their bed at home, curling up into a sobbing heap as Regina's face twisted in revulsion at the sight of her horrific scars. Doubts were plaguing her mind that she knew shouldn't be there, and Ruby fought to vanquish them before they could take root and poison the precious trust she had in her girlfriend.

But then through the haze of fear and doubt, Ruby remembered the kind of person Regina was and just how much Regina loved her. For three years they had lived and loved together, and over that time had come to know one another in ways that no one else could. While Ruby could acknowledge there was an incredibly important physical component to their relationship based on intense mutual attraction, she had also discovered that when Regina loved, it was not contingent on what she saw with her eyes but rather on what she felt with her heat. Regina loved fiercely with everything she had, holding nothing back, and she never, ever quit. Regina loved forever.

With that in mind, it was a virtual impossibility that Ruby would be treated any differently now than before all of this happened. In fact, it was more likely than not that Regina would overcompensate with her attention to make sure Ruby still felt beautiful and cherished. That was the kind of woman Regina was, the sensitive, thoughtful, selfless woman she hid so well from every one else. Knowing that, Ruby was confident in surmising any feelings of insecurity could simply be chalked up to the manifestations of her traumatized brain.

Still, that didn't change the fact that it frightened Ruby that she was going to be left with permanent reminders of her horrific ordeal. At this point, all she really wanted to do was forget about what had happened to her altogether, but the macabre portrait Joshua had painted on the canvass of her body left that an impossibility. She just hoped beyond measure that there was some way for Regina, Rumple, or anyone else they could consult with to magically erase the most gruesome of her souvenirs.

Shelving such depressing thoughts for a later time, Ruby focused on Regina once again only to find that Joshua's words had served to further fuel the already incensed Queen. Like a raging bull that had been provoked to the razors edge of insanity by one too many waves of a red cape, Regina stood poised to strike, her nostrils flared and death burning in her eyes.

Now far beyond the point of no return, lost in her almost manic fury the Queen growled and bared her teeth in a threatening way very much like a feral wolf was apt to do. Yet even though her eyes betrayed how unhinged she had become, Regina somehow was able to maintain complete control of both herself and the situation. Ruby had never seen someone so deranged remain eerily calm at the same time.

"Even were that true," Regina replied through a gritted snarl, "I will make it my mission in life to see Ruby healed. I swear it. I will personally see to it that all evidence of you is completely erased from her body. I will love her and care for her so that one day she will have forgotten all about you. So you see, you've not succeeded in destroying her. But I _will_ destroy you, you miserable little ant. And I promise you this: you are not going to enjoy the feeling of being crushed beneath my heel.

"Unfortunately for you, you have indeed succeeded, just not as you wished. I have long kept the part of me that was the Evil Queen on a very tight leash, so I suppose I could congratulate you for being the person who finally managed to bring her out to play. But...with what's about to happen to you, I don't think that you would truly appreciate my compliments."

With an elegant flick of her wrist, Regina magically stripped Joshua of his clothes, leaving him bared and humiliated just as he had done to Ruby. She then waved her hands in a tight circle, causing violet, vine-like magic to wind around his torso and legs and then up his body until it covered his mouth, rendering him immobile and mute. After having finished that task, she approached Joshua deliberately and then in a display of almost otherworldly power, levitated herself to meet him face to face. Unfettered hatred played across her visage.

"And just for the sake of being clear, there is more thing that you should have been aware of before you dared to lay your filthy hands on _my_ woman," she spat into his face, her voice a deep, echoing well of unfathomably terrible purpose. The room itself was practically reverberating with the enormity of her power. "She is not just my lover. Aside from my son, she is my everything. She is my True Love and she is the mother of our unborn children. What you did to her is _unspeakable_. You will not live for much longer, but rest assured, what little life you have left to you will be filled with such suffering that it will linger on with you throughout eternity."

With that, Regina floated backwards about a foot and then raised her hands above her head. Tilting her head back, her eyes closed in ecstasy as sparkling purple and red magic began to gather around the ceiling of the basement. Streaks of lighting, rumblings of thunder, and the flickering of flames were interspersed throughout the thick, rolling clouds.

Ruby saw an enraptured grin form on Regina's face as the magic began to gather at her hands. Seeping and swirling, it coalesced into half a dozen glowing violet rings, and the speed at which this transpired left no time for Ruby to adequately process what Regina had just revealed by referring to her as the mother of their children (that is, in plural). She filed that information away for later.

When Regina next extended her arms toward Joshua, Ruby heard a strange warbling sound as the rings around her hands begin to spin. Faster and faster and faster they rotated until they were reduced down to two thick, electric blurs of violet light. An awful keening, nearly deafening sound began to emanate from the bands about Regina's wrists, and the room began to tremble with the frenzied energy of the magic she was summoning.

When at last the rings reached a crescendo of noise and speed, Regina's eyes – both iris and sclera – turned ebony as the midnight sky. Fixing her dreadfully jet black eyes onto Joshua, her face contorted in enraged delirium. And then without any warning, her hands suddenly flew open and she released a deafening shout.

Ruby heard glass shattering all over the house as the rings of magic shot from around the Queen's hands in two continuously streaming beams. It seemed to her in that moment as if Regina was no longer a real person, but a vision of divine vengeance wrapped up in infinite shadows and bathed in an unadulterated power and splendor the like of which Ruby had never witnessed. She was a goddess whose station so far above the petty laws of physics allowed her to hover in the air completely unaffected by gravity. Though Ruby stared in wonder at the awesome display, she was more than a little terrified.

As the rings continued to wrap around Joshua, they replaced the purple clouds of magic he had been previously restrained with. Spinning wildly around his body, rising and falling vertically from head to toe in opposing directions, they gathered speed once again. Joshua grunted in pain. The faster the rings spun, the louder his painful protests became. Being continuously fed from the stream of light emanating from Regina's palms, the rings soon attained a blinding pace. A boom rang out, deafening in the enclosed confines of the basement, shaking the house to its foundations.

A second later, Joshua produced the most horrible screech Ruby had ever heard come from a human being.

Watching with morbid fascination, Ruby was unable to turn away as the flesh of his torso began to be stripped away from his body one layer at a time as if he were an onion being peeled. Blood spilled out from him in undulating waves, mixing with her own dried contributions. The sight was ghastly.

Ruby couldn't even begin to fathom the agony that her tormentor was now experiencing, and yet she was shocked to see that he remained conscious. As she looked at him closer, however, she noticed a tendril of magic around his head and realized that Regina was somehow keeping him purposefully aware. It appeared the Queen was not about to allow her enemy the solace of oblivion until she was finished with him.

Joshua's skin was the first layer to go, then the layer of fat below the skin followed, and after that the muscle was disposed of. Each process took at least an excruciatingly long minute during which – in what seemed to Ruby like the most dreadful miracle ever witnessed – Joshua somehow remained alive.

Finally denuded of nearly all his flesh and muscle, he was left hanging for several excruciating minutes, a screaming bag of bones with exposed organs being held in place by the power of Regina's magic. Through the space between his ribs, Ruby could plainly see a set of quivering lungs and a racing heart which was beating at a faster pace than she thought possible for a human heart to achieve.

"This is the price you must pay for your crimes, Joshua," Regina then stated, her voice a deep and thundering echo. "I wonder, was it worth it? I guess we'll never know. But to be quite frank and to echo your earlier sentiment: I don't care. Eternal torment awaits you in whatever hell you may find yourself in. Goodbye."

And with a wave of her hands, the magic rings grew to encapsulate Joshua's body. As they closed in on each other, they formed a cocoon which as it closed, diminished the sounds of Joshua's screams until they faded from existence. Once sealed, the cocoon then collapsed in on itself and vanished, leaving nothing behind of the man who was responsible for the worst day Ruby had ever lived through.

Having dispatched Joshua, Regina slowly descended to the ground, and once her feet touched earth once again, she turned to regard Ruby. The cold, detached look in her eyes was startling.

But then she twirled her hand, causing purple smoke to surround her, and when Ruby next looked on Regina again, she was back to the woman Ruby knew and loved with everything she had to give. With her eyes their familiar chocolate brown and brimming with unrestrained love, Regina's lips stretched into a smile that warmed Ruby from the inside out. However, with the very next breath, her eyes unexpectedly rolled back into their sockets and she collapsed in a heap to the ground.

Screaming for help, Ruby attempted to crawl to her fallen partner, but her body failed her yet again and she collapsed onto her side with a cry. Tears pricked at Ruby's eyes as she stared forlornly at Regina's motionless form.

Just when she felt on the verge of surrendering to her despair, a bright golden light began to emanate from Regina's stomach, suffusing the room with a warm, glorious glow. Ruby watched in dumb amazement as it grew in intensity until it became nearly blinding.

Gasping, she felt a foreign yet familiar energy begin to gather in her own abdomen, and when she glanced down she noticed that the very same light that had engulfed Regina was now flowing out of her own body in waves of translucent amber. An acutely extraordinary feeling spread throughout her entire person, filling her with such a sense of peace that everything else was swept away into obscurity.

For a moment, she forgot about Regina being stabbed; she forgot about the torture she had suffered; and she forgot about the appallingly gruesome way that Regina had executed Joshua. Love gently washed through her mind and spirit, relaxing her and then coaxing her into the restful bliss of sleep. Ruby did not fight against it, but rather went willingly into its embrace.

* * *

 **Notes** : I'm sure that was a bit traumatizing to read. But I couldn't imagine Regina, at least the Regina I love, letting so vile a crime slide. She has changed, but not that much. In my opinion, no matter how redeemed, a person doesn't sink to the depths of depravity Regina did as the EQ without the possibility of backsliding being a very real one.

Some may disagree with me, and that's fine, but it's just how I saw it play out. What happened to her and then to Ruby pushed her over the edge. The only way she could deal with it was to revert to an old method of coping, surrendering to the darkness to obtain justice that abiding by laws and statutes set forth by 'good' people could not get her.

I hope I made it clear that Ruby was not really okay with what went down. She understands why Regina did what she did, but does not approve. Ruby was far too traumatized by her inner monster to ever willingly give in to it again, even if it was just to mete out a very deserving sentence. Rest assured, however, for now at least it will not be an issue between our gals.

The ending of the chapter, I should mention, is intentional. Regina had expended so much of herself that she needed help and it came in the unexpected form of True Love mojo. In my stories, True Love magic will always be characterized as golden and brilliant, so that's what you see after Regina collapses and before Ruby loses consciousness for the 100th time. They will be okay, though. Their ordeal is, by and large, over.

So, we have at long last reached the bottom of our long descent and now are coasting toward the end. Let out that sigh of relief and get ready for some warm fuzzies. There will be a bit of drama, but nothing catastrophic.

That's it for now, I think, aside from the standard welcome for comments/constructive criticism. I would love to hear what y'all think about all this! Also, I would have liked more time to give this one another editing pass, but I promised and chapter today, and by George, y'all shall have it!

Enjoy, and I'll see y'all next week!


	20. Visitation

**Notes** : Since I missed my early in the week deadline, this chapter is a long one. If your time is at a premium, perhaps consider reading it in two sessions. More notes at the bottom.

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 19** – Visitation

Floating as if she weighed nothing and held aloft upon billowy clouds that surrounded her in a cocoon of serenity, Ruby was adrift upon a placid, meandering, and non-existent river. The easy washing of the water against the rocks provided a soothing melody which, accompanied by faint humming sound emanating from some indiscernible source, settled itself deep into her bones, heightening the feeling of complacency that kept her compliant. That she could not open her eyes or move her limbs was of no concern to her, comfortable as she was in her peculiar new circumstance.

With a contented sigh, she sunk further into her fluffy bed of ether, and allowed herself to be swept away. Sheltered within a seemingly endless sense of peace, she drifted on and on, down gentle slopes and around innocuous curves of whatever mystical pathway she was traversing. And not only was she unconcerned of the passage of time during her journey, but she was blissfully unaware of where she was or where she was going. She could not remember ever feeling so carefree.

It was only after she abruptly stopped moving that she was snapped out of whatever spell had been cast upon her. Coming to with a strangled gasp, she found herself lying prostrate in the floor of a strangely shaped and dimly-lit room. When she first tried to move, her limbs were loose and still unresponsive as if having never been used, and the sensation of being trapped inside her own body was disconcerting enough to nearly cause a panic attack. Had control over her muscles not started to return within seconds, she was pretty sure she would have started to hyperventilate.

Breathing a sigh of relief at the return of her motor functions, she rolled over onto her back and then slowly worked her way upright. Her legs were a bit wobbly when she first put pressure on them, but much like the rest of her body, strength returned rapidly the more she tested them.

Brushing the dust off of her clothes, she startled to notice she was dressed in her garb from the Enchanted Forest, replete with corset, elbow length gloves, and cloak. Pushing the hood off of her head, Ruby studied her surroundings.

C _uriouser and curiouser_ , she thought, feeling like Alice having just landed at the bottom of the rabbit hole and stepping into a world where nothing at all made sense.

The half-moon shaped area she was currently in was constructed of thick stone walls, and her eyes were drawn to the scones upon them. Holding torches of polished steel, the flames they produced glowed a faint blue rather than the typical warm orange. Stacked pillars lined the edges of the space, and the pale blue light of the flames danced upon them in measured, undulating waves. Along with the moonlight filtering in trough the solitary window to the west, the shadows cast into the center of the room gave the area a very cold atmosphere.

As she struggled to regain her bearings, Ruby felt for some vague reason that she should recognize where she was, that she had been there at some unknown time in her past. Something had happened in a place very much like this, something important that was impactful and relevant to her, but for the life of her she could not recall what that was. Meaning remained irritatingly beyond her grasp, and the more she thought about it, the more the suppressed memory burrowed into the unreachable recesses of her mind.

Growling in annoyance, Ruby clenched her eyes shut, but they snapped back open almost immediately upon hearing the rustling of cloth from behind her. She turned around to face an arched opening, covered mostly by low hanging drapes. There in the triangular space left open, a female figure began moving into the entryway, and after lingering there for a moment, passed on into the room. As the concealed figure moved beyond the shadows hiding them from view, a woman was revealed of such impressive stature and bearing that Ruby was struck dumb.

Dressed in a pure white toga of what appeared to be an almost silk-like material and which shimmered in the moonlight, she appeared to be of royalty. Her toga was no pedestrian garment, for it was gilded at the fringes with intricate golden thread-work beyond the skill of any Ruby had ever known and was decorated with delicately filigreed animals at the moderate slits baring the bronze skin of her thighs. A howling wolf was depicted on one side while a rearing stag was on the other. Low about her hips was slung an ornate golden chain belt adorned with dozens of glittering diamonds. And although her long fingers bore no rings and her ears were bare of piercings, she wore bracers – also golden – upon her wrists that Ruby recognized as belonging to an archer. A crown of twisted vines sat nobly upon her brow (Ruby was not surprised to not that this also was made of gold), confirming Ruby's assessment of her social status, and in the center of it – resting just below her hairline – was a thin, translucent, and luminous crescent moon made of some kind of magical stone.

When Ruby's eyes swept next across her visitors face, she gasped in recognition. The memory she had been trying to access suddenly came back in a violent rush. Accompanying the onslaught of images was the feeling of instant belonging that had overwhelmed her upon finding the person she had been both subconsciously and consciously longing for her entire life. Ruby now knew her location: it was the last place she had seen her mother alive.

And yet, it was simply not possible for her to be seeing what she was. Blinking several times to clear up her already unobscured vision, she was stricken when nothing changed. She had been hoping the woman before her was a specter, a mere figment of her imagination, but the details were all there for her to feast her eyes upon. They settled into her heart like lead, heavy and dense and almost poisonous.

There was no mistaking the identity of the woman before her. Framed in by a thick mass of brown hair woven into an intricate braid around her head and which spilled in wild, tumbling curls at the back, her features were characterized by low, gently arcing brows, a sharp jawline, defined cheeks, a straight-bridged nose with a delicate flare at the end, and wide bow-tie lips. It was the face that haunted her dreams, one belonging to the woman who had given her life.

Trembling slightly, hands wringing nervously, Ruby took a single step forward. "Mother?"

"I am not your mother," the woman wearing her mother's face replied, her speech straight-forward but not at all unkind.

Now Ruby was confused. If the woman who looked exactly like her mother wasn't her mother, who the hell was she? "Who are you, then?" she asked, externalizing her thoughts.

The woman smiled gently, a look so like the one her mother gave her upon their first meeting that Ruby's chest tightened against the ache of that old wound.

"My name is Diana of Olympus," the woman answered.

Ruby's brows rose. "As in the Roman goddess?"

A chiming sound rang out, delightful to the ear with its gentle mirth. It took Ruby a second to realize her mother's doppelganger was laughing.

"I sometimes forget of the superstitions of earthly humans," 'Diana' said, looking amused. "We – that is, many members of my race including myself – indeed visited earth many ages ago. While there, we taught the primitive tribe we encountered to read and to write, instructed them in the ways of science as we could. Though we possess superior attributes to humans and are immortal, we emphasized that they were not to hail us as deities, but rather as benefactors. We were admired, yes, but never worshiped. I suppose after we departed, oral traditions began and were inevitably…exaggerated over time."

"Well, that's interesting and all, but what I'm really curious about is why you have have my mother's face." Ruby hoped she wasn't being rude. It was bothering her how much the woman resembled her mother, and she was impatient to have answers.

Diana cocked her head just slightly, her eyes crinkling almost affectionately. "We are distant relatives."

Ruby frowned at the answer. "Distant relatives, you say. That doesn't explain why I literally can't tell a difference, though. Believe me, my mother's face is burned into my brain, so I should know it well, particularly since I was looking right at her when she stopped being alive."

The woman calling herself Diana of Olympus winced. "I am aware of what you were forced to do. What happened to your mother was tragic, and as someone who has had to openly oppose immediate family, I am sorry you had to go through that."

"Thanks, I think." Ruby was grateful for the sympathy, but still unsatisfied. "You still didn't answer my question."

"It is what your world would refer to as a genetic resemblance," Diana explained, still sounding apologetic. "Your mother and I – and you by consequence – are descended from the same line. Many have favored me in the past, but none so much as your mother did."

"Does that make you my great-great-great-great-great grandmother or something?" Biting her lip, Ruby ducked her head and then looked up at the woman through her lashes, chagrined for having asked such a childish question.

"Not quite," Diana replied, smiling in a disarming way clearly meant to relieve Ruby of her embarrassment. To Ruby's surprise, it worked fairly well. "You are not descended from me directly, but rather from my twin sister. However, our relation is not why I am here."

Ruby's frown returned. "Why are you here, then? And as a matter of fact, where the hell is 'here'?"

"We are in the shadow realm on the Isle of Avalon in Albion, the heart of the Nine Realms," Diana then said, looking around the room before returning her eyes to Ruby. She then crossed over to the window on the western side of the room and perched elegantly upon the cushioned seat beneath it. After crossing her legs neatly, she folded her hands on top of them. The exposed bronze skin of her long legs and toned arms shimmered as if glowing from within.

Enshrined in moonlight and with her eyes seeming back-lit as if some supernatural fire was burning behind them, Diana presented the picture of a goddess if ever Ruby had seen one. It was no wonder, she thought, that the simple-minded ancients had dubbed such beings as divine. Ruby liked to think of herself as an enlightened modern woman, but even she was tempted to fall at Diana's feet.

"Avalon," the majestic woman continued as if unaware of Ruby's awe, "is the closest connection point from my world to yours, and thus the only way for our spirits to convene. Neither of us are here in body right now, we are merely spiritual projections of our physical selves."

Ruby's brows furrowed. "So let me get this straight. I'm still back in Storybrooke?" Diana answered succinctly in the affirmative. "And you are…?"

"In Olympus," Diana answered, and then elaborated, "more specifically in the Temple of Zeus, my father. It is only from here – the central font of power in our world – that I am able to safely project my spirit into Avalon. If I were to attempt such a feat elsewhere, I would risk severing my spirit from my body forever, which as you might expect would result in my death. Immortal or not, the body cannot survive without the spirit. They are intrinsically connected."

Ruby shook her head and then breathed in a shaky breath, hardly able to comprehend what she was being told. "That's some crazy ass crap if I ever heard it."

"And yet true," Diana replied, unperturbed by Ruby's cynicism. She craned her head curiously. "Do people of your realm not practice spirit magic?"

"No, they don't," said Ruby, and it was the naked truth. Regina had often told her that trifling with spirit magic was so dangerous that even the Dark One had refused to attempt it.

And yet, the methods of people on Olympus were evidently much more advanced than they had been in the Enchanted Forest. If what Diana was saying was true, it would shed a whole new light on magic in general, which would have piqued Regina's curiosity to an extreme degree.

What was even more problematic for Ruby to accept was the idea of her not being present in her actual body at the moment. Other than the acid-trip level of weirdness she'd experience before arriving in her current location, she felt perfectly normal and perfectly tangible. Reaching down, she pinched her arm just to be sure, and jumped slightly when it hurt as it should have if she was currently inhabiting her fleshly frame.

"I certainly don't feel like a spirit," she commented, turning skeptical eyes up to Diana. "That hurt."

In response, Diana crooked the corners of her lips into a sideways grin. "There is a reasonable explanation for that. The spirit is as powerful as the mind, which means you felt your touch because you wanted to. And so long as you are still beholden to your mortal body, your spirit body will continue to experience time and space as though you were indeed physical. It is strange for mortals to comprehend, but fret not, you are perfectly safe."

Ruby gave a harrumph, not quite sure she believed the woman's assertions. After all, she didn't even know why she was in Avalon in the first place. "All that aside, you said you came here to meet with me. Why?"

Diana did not bat an eyelash at the question. She remained perfectly still and composed, almost like a model posing for a sculpture or painting except even more in control. The total mastery she was exerting over her body...spirit body... _whatever_ …was quite eerie.

"I sensed your death as I have for all who came before you," the deific woman answered, and the mention of having died struck Ruby soundly. She shivered, remembering for a moment the awful feeling of the scythe piercing her chest. "I bound myself to my sister's offspring so that I would always know when one of them passed. Over the many generations that have come and gone, I have mourned deeply and often. I began to mourn you as well, and yet you did not pass through my uncle's domain as you should have. The unexpected turn of events warranted further investigation.

"Upon contacting Uncle Hades, I discovered you had been returned to life. I knew then that it was vital that I reach you. When you lost consciousness moments ago, your spirit wandered close enough to the underworld that I was able to use my gift to pull you into this facsimile from your memory."

Ignoring the casual name drop of Hades, God of the freakin' underworld, Ruby had more questions she needed answered. "And we are currently in Avalon? As in the one in the Merlin stories?" Diana nodded. Ruby took a shaky breath, still having trouble coming to terms with the fact that her spirit was in a different world from her body. But for whatever reason, she believed Diana was telling the truth. Which left her with yet another question: "You said it was vital that you reach me. Why the rush? I mean, couldn't this little chat have waited until the next time I was unconscious? 'Cause lately, I have to tell ya it seems like an hourly occurrence."

Diana shook her head sadly, and Ruby could not tell until she answered whether it was at the morbid attempt at humor or the reason Diana had felt compelled to speak to her. She would not have to wait long for that to be resolved.

"It could not wait," Diana answered almost immediately, "though I very much wish that were the case."

Standing abruptly but with smooth movements, Diana crossed back over to stand before Ruby. Up so close, Ruby could see that the effortlessly graceful woman had an almost imperceptible curve to her nose at the bridge and green eyes very much like her own. Those slight but noticeably present differences from her mother at last settled Ruby's lingering doubts as to the veracity of Diana's identity.

"Some day in the near future, a new enemy will seek you out." Diana then reached out to tentatively Ruby's hand. Ruby did not draw back, allowing the contact even as a knot formed in her throat. Despite Diana being a distant relation rather than her actual mother, Ruby felt closer to her mother through the person of Diana than she had since the day Anita died.

Since remembering who she was after the curse broke, Ruby had wrestled with warring emotions concerning Anita, with one part of her missing her mother so badly she ached and the other half irate for the position the hedonistic woman had put her only child in. Many times since, Ruby had wondered what she would do if given the opportunity to confront her mother one last time, and those hypothetical scenarios tended to match her mood.

Mostly she imagined herself castigating Anita for forcing her hand to act on Snow's behalf. Ruby had yet to regret her decision to defend her friend, and she was sure she never would, but even so, when she was feeling particularly lonely all of that old bitterness toward her mother faded away. At times like that, she would imagine herself running toward Anita and then wrapping her up in the tightest hug she could muster, clinging for dear life as she inhaled the sweetness of her mother's scent, wild like the forest and clean like a cool, snowy night. Those kinds of thoughts tended to come with tears, so Ruby did not indulge them very often, but on the rare occasion she did, they left her wracked with exacerbated loneliness and a sucking wound in her soul that for a short time drained her of any vibrancy in her life.

And now, standing so close to Diana, she was inundated by that lonely feeling once again. It was perhaps not exactly a rational line of thought, but she felt as if she had another chance to touch her mother again, a chance to act upon that old desire to be held by the woman who had nourished her when she was at her most helpless and had brought her into the world through a crucible of unimaginable pain. And even though she knew Diana was not Anita, the Olympian woman was nonetheless a blood relative, and was close enough in physical resemblance that the effect was the same as if she were.

Although Ruby was able to refrain from impulsively hugging Diana, she still subconsciously squeezed the woman's hand with a grip that would have broken the bones of anyone else. Diana, however, seemed to be unaffected by Ruby's strength, while her countenance softened considerably at Ruby's acceptance of her gesture. Unfortunately, the gentleness of her regard only lasted for a moment.

A blink of the eye later, Diana was wearing a grave expression, and continued, "Oh, how I desire to shield you from what will happen, for this enemy is far greater than any you have ever known. But I cannot. I am forbidden from interfering, and what has happened to you today was not coincidence." Pausing, Diana lifted her free hand to Ruby's cheek, using the pad of her thumb to smooth away a tear Ruby hadn't been aware had fallen. "You see, he needs you strong in order to use you."

Nuzzling into Diana's hand, Ruby looked up with a resigned expression. And it was how she felt: resigned. It seemed that fate or destiny or whatever force guided the events of life really had it in for her, was inordinately determined to rub her out of existence. It made her want to curl in on herself and scream, but at the same time she also knew Diana was not telling her any of this without reason. There had to be hope, or else Diana would not have risked so much just to contact her.

"This enemy...what exactly does he want to use me for?" Ruby inquired. Scared as she was to hear of some impending threat of doom, she needed to know. Forewarned, Regina liked to say, is forearmed.

Letting her hands drop to her sides, Diana grimaced. Ruby instantly missed the contact but did not dare verbalize that.

"To free my sister."

 _So_ , Ruby thought, _whoever this mysterious enemy is, he wants to use me to free my own great-great-great-great-great grandmother. Interesting_. Out loud, she commented, "I sense there's a story there."

"There is. Would you like to hear it?" Diana rubbed her hands together somewhat nervously, repeating almost exactly Ruby's gesture from earlier. The action not only confirmed to Ruby that she was more like the Olympian than she had thought, but also that the woman's sister was a sore spot that she did generally preferred not to discuss. That she was willing to now spoke to how important this story was.

Even more curious, Ruby nodded once. "Sure, if it's relevant to me," she added, trying not to sound overly enthusiastic over what was clearly a painful topic.

"It is. Very relevant."

Ruby gestured toward her 'distant relative'. "By all means then."

"Very well, I shall give you an abridged version," Diana said, her tone shifting into something more closely resembling a history professor. The memory was false of course, but Ruby almost felt as if she were back in Mr. Crane's class, interested in the subject matter but waiting with bated breath for the clock to strike 3 pm. What she was waiting for now she wasn't sure, but she was nonetheless.

"Long ago after the fall of king Arthur," Diana began her tale, "my sister was on an adventure in Albion. Whilst hunting with her oldest companion, a great wolf of ebony fur named Garm, she met a gifted human and fell in love with him. Grieved by the thought of ever being parted from her mortal lover, she bestowed upon him power unimaginable, linking his life-force to hers, effectively making him immortal.

"Emboldened by his new power, he appealed to her reckless and ambitious nature and encouraged her to take her 'rightful place' among the pantheon. My sister did not require much convincing. Together they conquered a weakened Albion and were set to invade the world you hail from. Their desire was to subjugate all the realms of Yggdrasil, a crime my father – being king of Olympus and faithful ally of Odin king of Asgard – could not abide. He sent me to stop her, and with the help of the immortal Sorcerer Merlin, I was able to do so.

"But I could not bring myself to kill her. She is my sister; my twin; my other half. I love her more than any one else in all of the universe. Thus, I chose a cavern deep in the belly of this world without magic in which to craft a prison to hold her until such time she was prepared to repent. After carving a cell from the walls of the cavern, we placed her inside – in stasis but aware. It is a terrible punishment, I know, but it was my only recourse.

"As identical twins, we share a bond that surpasses all others, and in our youth we enhanced that bond magically so that it would span across worlds. Should she ever be ready to repudiate her former evils, I will know, and have pledged on my honor to immediately release her. But until that day, I sealed the door with blood magic and enchanted the lock so that none could open it save a worthy member of her line. There she remains to this day, unashamed of her deeds and awaiting the day her beloved will find a way to release her. Unfortunately, that day is near at hand.

"You see, before Merlin and I imprisoned my sister, she bore a daughter for her human lover. I entrusted the child to Merlin, and he in turn took her to the world of your birth. After repressing her powers, he raised her by himself, and she grew into a woman of fine character, had a daughter of her own, and that daughter bore another daughter, the next a son, and so on down the line until you, my dear, were born. You are the last living descendent of that line, and now you have proven yourself worthy to serve as the key."

"How do you figure that?" Ruby asked, not able to think of anything she had done to be proven as 'worthy' of anything.

Up until now, all she had managed to do was land herself in one disastrous scenario after another, most recently the debacle of trying to apprehend Joshua. The only things she felt she had done right in her lifetime were saving Snow's life and falling in love with Regina. In everything else, Ruby considered herself a failure of the highest order.

"You overcame death," Diana said simply. "And not only that, you have found your Truest Love, your perfect mate. Together you created life and will live to see them born. That is a wonder in and of itself. In performing this miraculous feat, you have unlocked that part of yourself repressed by Merlin's magic. And now for that reason – as well as another that you will not understand for some time – you unique power will begin to grow until eventually you come into your full potential."

Ruby didn't like the sound of any of that. Already cautious of her strength both as the wolf and as a wolf-empowered human, she couldn't imagine having to deal with even more. It was hard enough being unable to hold Regina as tightly as she sometimes wanted to for fear of breaking her partner's bones.

And furthermore, when the full moon was having an especially pronounced effect on her, she still had trouble exerting control over her actions as the wolf. There were nights that she left a littered trail of rabbit, squirrel, and deer corpses in the woods. The thought of losing control again was already terrifying, and if what Diana said was true, she would become even more dangerous.

"Do not fear, my child," Diana then said, almost as if she could read Ruby's thoughts. The elegant woman smiled. "I cannot read your thoughts, if that is what you are worried about, but I can read your posture, and it is telling me that you are afraid. Do you have control of yourself as the wolf?" Biting her lip, Ruby nodded. "Then you have no need to be afraid. She is you and you are her. Once you have accepted that, she will never overcome your will again."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ruby relaxed, but only a little. She was still concerned about what this power-hungry freak of an ancestor she had never met or known existed might do to her. "So, what will happen once I come into my 'full potential'?"

Diana turned her head for a second to hide her reaction from the question, which did not help Ruby's anxieties at all. After taking a steadying breath and swallowing heavily, she turned back. "He already knows where you are. Today has proven that. All that will remain is for him to confront you," she said, her voice strained. "Once he does, he will lead you to my sister's prison and attempt to convince you to free her. If you should refuse, he will force you to comply."

For some reason, Ruby missed the implied hints about what had happened to her in Joshua's basement, that this fearsome forebear of evil-intent had a hand in those events. All she could hear was the final statement of being forced into compliance with his will. With what she had just been through, the thought of finding herself helpless under the power of any man was utterly terrifying.

Her eyes widened in trepidation. "Does he have that kind of power?"

"I am afraid so," Diana confirmed sadly. "He has accrued so much now that even I cannot face him. Only the most powerful beings in existence, such as my father, possess the necessary strength to stop him now, and they have for the time being sworn themselves to inaction. I have protested their decision as foolish, but they refuse to listen to my counsel."

Hearing that had Ruby on the verge of a panic. She began to pace back and forth like a caged wolf. Hadn't she gone through enough already? Was it too much to ask to be permitted the time for her and Regina to raise their child into adulthood without having to face some world-threatening crisis? Apparently not.

Stopping abruptly, she spun on her heels, fixing Diana with an almost desperate plea. "Is there nothing I can do to stop this from happening?"

Several emotions played across Diana's face, which gave Ruby a glimpse beyond her facade of self-control. She could have even sworn she saw a brief pool of tears gathering at the statuesque woman's lids. But then the Olympian schooled her expression, and her internal turmoil was hidden from view once more.

"I have consulted the Oracle on this matter," she said, "and it seems to be a destined course of events. I am truly sorry. If I could intervene on your behalf, I would, but destiny does not care to be interfered with or influenced. Thus I am limited in what I can do for you without incurring its wrath. And as you have so tragically learned, it is a powerful force that is to be tested at one's own peril.

"All that is left for me then is to assuage the effect of this information by offering you an assurance that you that you will not have to face this trial for many years. Would that you could remember this conversation after you awaken, but I hope at least the subconscious knowledge will alleviate your anxieties so that they do not linger."

"Wait a sec," Ruby frowned, "I'm not going to remember this?" Diana shook her head in the negative and again apologized. "Then why tell me any of this at all?"

Reaching out once more, this time with both hands, Diana took Ruby's into her own.

"Because some day you _will_ remember," she said, a profound longing in her eyes that made Ruby inexplicably sad. "When you do, I want you to know that even now I believe you worthy of the risk I took to have this meeting with you, and that I have made a solemn vow to watch over you for the rest of your days. And I will. I swear it. The laws of Olympus prevent me from direct intervention, but when the time comes, I will help you as I am able.

"So be strong, my sister-child. Be encouraged and endure. Love your family, let them love you. They will see you through the tribulations ahead. And though the battles you will face may seem bleak, and at times all hope may seem lost, I believe that you will prevail."

Letting go of one of Ruby's hands, Diana lifted it to thread tenderly in the hair at her temples. It was, Ruby thought, the soothing touch of a mother she'd always wanted to experience. Make no mistake, Granny had been good to her, and Ruby would be forever grateful for the way her grandmother had loved her and provided for her and protected her. But gentle touches and soft reassurances were not Granny's forte.

"I have faith in you," Diana then whispered, so earnest that Ruby was caught in the spell of her affectionate gaze and reverent touch.

In that moment, Ruby almost wished that the Olympian had been her mother instead of Anita. And while it was perhaps the most awful thought she'd ever had, she could not help but feel that way. All of her life she had yearned for her mother. Even through the years when she professed to loathe the woman who had so easily walked away from her responsibilities, Ruby had wanted to know what it was like to fall asleep with a mother's eyes, fathomless with care, watching over her, and a feminine voice as soft and beautiful as a warm summer breeze to lull her into a restful slumber.

It was only after Ruby met her mother that she realized with great sorrow that Anita was not that kind of mother, and never had been. Diana, on the other hand, very much seemed like she would be.

Suddenly, however, and without warning Diana temporarily flickered out of view, as if a hologram from Star Wars gone awry.

"What's happening?" Ruby asked frantically upon the woman's reappearance, not ready to lose the tenuous connection she had formed her distant relative.

"You are awakening," Diana explained, looking almost as grieved as Ruby felt. "Soon I will vanish not to return, as will you. But before I go, I want you to know that when all of this is over and your memory of me has returned, I would very much like for you to seek me out. I pray that you will.

"And if it be so, the realm-jumper will know what to do. Merely instruct him to ferry you and your family to Olympus. You and your family will be _most_ welcome here. As I have no children of my own, nor does yet my brother Apollo, my father and I have longed for the day that my sister's kin would return to visit their ancestral homeland. A great celebration will surely be thrown in your honor."

Diana flickered out of view again, and when she reappeared, fainter than she had been before, Ruby nodded. "I will, I promise." Biting back tears, she worried at her lip before asking, "This may sound silly, but can I hug you before you go?"

The question elicited the most radiant grin Diana had yet given. "I would love that very much."

Stepping forward tentatively, Ruby pressed her body into the lean, toned frame of her Olympian relative, finding that she fit perfectly against it. And as she felt strong arms wrap themselves around her, she melted into the embrace. Pressing her face into Diana's neck, she inhaled deeply, smelling the inviting scent of the ocean mixed with sweetened juniper. Tears stung Ruby's eyes, bitter and yet full of tender sentiment, and she let them fall freely. She had just met Diana, but she already loved her, and they were soon to be parted for an untold number of years. While grateful for the being given the opportunity to meet her Olympian relative, Ruby was grief-stricken at having to lose her so soon.

Minutes passed as she indulged herself in the comfort of so warm a hug, crying her eyes out for what she had found and lost as Diana gently swayed them in a slow, consoling rhythm. Aside from Regina, only Granny had ever made her feel so loved.

But then Diana blinked out of existence once more, and Ruby tumbled forward through the void where her spirit body had once been, almost losing her balance in the process. Only her quick reflexes saved her from face planting on the stone-paved surface of the floor.

When Diana returned seconds later, her eyes were glassy with her own tears, which soon spilled over to run sorrowfully down her cheeks. At last the woman had lost her incredible composure, and the depth of her grief made Ruby feel even more disconsolate.

"I cannot maintain the spell any longer," said Diana, her voice barely audible through the tenuous connection. "This must be goodbye for now, my child. I have known you only minutes, but you already have my eternal love. Do not despair, we shall meet again."

"Wait!" Ruby protested, crying out forlornly when Diana disappeared again an instant later. "Wait! Don't go! I'm not ready to say goodbye! I'm not ready!" But Diana never came back.

Ruby sank to the floor. She felt as if her mother had died all over again. Despondent and overwhelmed, she wept for her mother, for the loss of Diana, and for the hell she and Regina had been through. It was all too much...just too much for her to bear. She was collapsing under the weight of her own grief.

But just when it seemed the melancholy would never end, she began to be surrounded by an ever-increasing effusion of bright white light along with a sudden, high-pitched whining. It grew and grew in intensity until she was swallowed up by the tidal wave of luminance and sound, and swept away into nothingness.

* * *

Ruby awoke with a prolonged groan, which aggravated the sandpaper-like texture of her throat. It seemed a scene out of _Lawrence of Arabia_ had taken up residence in her mouth and esophagus while she was comatose. Beyond that, her entire body ached, especially her chest, shoulder and back. She struggled to rid herself of the fog surrounding her brain, but was hampered by a feeling as if she had been wrested from a dream of great significance. There was a niggling in her brain signaling the necessity and an ache in her heart reflecting her immense subconscious desire to recall it. But she could barely think coherently at all through the haze of her conscious mind as she emerged from her drug-induced repose.

Hearing a sound to her left, she opened her eyes and immediately blinked against the bright white light that permeated the room. As she tried to focus her vision on the ceiling, a gentle hand reached out and began to smooth her hair back and caress her forehead. Opening her mouth to call for water, she was interrupted.

"Shh," she heard a very familiar and deeply feminine voice coo from beside her. "Don't try to talk, angel. Just relax."

Ruby blinked again and squinted her eyes. It took several tries for her to acclimate to the obnoxious brightness of the room, but once she was able to focus without searing pain in the back of her sockets, she saw Regina leaning over her with a watery smile. Despite the unshed tears lingering on her lids, the expression on her girlfriend's face was one full of life and beaming with love.

Ruby also noticed that Regina was dressed impeccably in fine gray slacks and a lavender blouse, and with her hair neatly styled and her face lightly made up, it was as if it was an ordinary day in which Regina was heading out to work while Ruby lounged around in bed. That Regina appeared so healthy made Ruby very curious as to how long she had been out.

Ruby tried to sit up to pounce ebulliently on the woman she loved but was prevented by a firm hand on her uninjured shoulder.

"No, no. Stay still," Regina insisted in a caring but stern tone of voice. "I'll get you a sip of water so you can talk, but you shouldn't be moving about just yet. Lie back."

Ruby nodded and then fell back to the bed heavily. Beyond happy to see Regina, she watched through a semi-groggy and 100% dopey smile as her girlfriend walked to the foot of the bed to pour some water from a pitcher into a cup with a straw in it.

Coming back over to stand next to the bed, Regina offered the liquid relief to her.

"Careful. Take small sips," she instructed.

Looking grateful, Ruby did as Regina complied by taking carefully measured sips of water. The relief to her parched throat was instant, helping to sooth the dry scratchiness that was irritating her to no end. Lawrence and his army of dromedaries were finally gone. The coolness of the water also aided in clearing her head of some of the cobwebs that lingered from being unconscious.

"Thank you," Ruby whispered after having had enough. She smiled up in thanks to her long-time partner.

"Of course, my darling," Regina replied as she sat the cup of water on the bedside table. When she turned back, her expression had shifted into something between its former affection and a barely concealed annoyance. "Ruby..." she drew in a tense breath. "What in God's name possessed you to go out on your own in such a reckless way?"

"Geez, Regina, give a girl time to recover, whydontcha," Ruby groused, as much out of a desire not to answer the question as it was due to her still-slight discombobulation.

"I know that this is perhaps not the ideal time for this discussion," Regina conceded, "but I'll have you know that you scared the hell Henry and me...out of us all, really. You should have taken Emma with you at the very least instead of going off on your own, half-cocked and without sufficient information!" When Ruby opened her mouth to protest her reaction as beyond her control, Regina interrupted, using that eerie ability of hers to read Ruby's mind. "And don't you dare blame the wolf for your actions! She is strong, but I know for a fact that you are stronger. If you'd so desired, you could have held her off a while longer."

When Ruby attempted to shrug away both the line of inquisition and the guilt she was suddenly feeling, she winced at the slight discomfort that came from her wounded shoulder.

It would have been very easy for someone less prone to accept responsibility for their choices to dismiss Regina's concerns as irrelevant seeing as they were both alive. But Ruby was of the type who tended to carry burdens that did not even belong to her, so she couldn't help the extreme shame she felt upon considering the repercussions of what she had done.

Not only had she abandoned Regina's side seeking vengeance that was not rightfully hers to mete out, but she had fallen headlong into a trap that she should have easily detected. The price she had paid for her foolhardy actions would likely never leave her. Considering that, her level of remorse was highly appropriate.

Too exhausted to lie, and sufficiently cowed by her partner's chastisement, Ruby shrank in on herself. Regina was right. She had been making excuses to herself in blaming her wolf. While her alter ego had been frothing at the mouth for revenge, it had not been beyond her ability to contain the wolf a while longer. Instead, she had succumbed to the baser emotions that she'd been feeling all on her own, and had let fear and irrationality overrule her better sense. It nearly cost her everything.

"You're right, I could have," she answered, her voice sounding as small as she felt. "It was a boneheaded and stupid thing to do, and I'm sorry."

Regina heaved a longsuffering sigh. "Though I should press you until I'm sure you understand how it felt for me to wake up without you there, I won't." Stretching out her hand, she ran it through the hair along Ruby's temple, tracing it around the back of her ear. Her touch was soft and a welcome gesture of reprieve. However, it also gave Ruby a feeling of déjà vu that she immediately dismissed, seeing as such an action was not strange for Regina. "I forgive you," Regina then said, emphasizing the next words, "this time. Just don't _ever_ do anything like that again, especially on my behalf."

Reaching her own hand up to smooth along Regina's cheek, Ruby replied, "I can promise to try not to be such an idiot in the future, but if anyone ever hurts you again, I most certainly will go after them. Regina, I love you. I will always fight for you because that's what I do. I fight for the people I love. I fought many battles for Snow, and I never felt for her what I do for you. But don't worry, I learned my lesson about doing so all by myself if help is available."

"Good," Regina said, expression tender from Ruby's speech. "That's all I ask."

For a space of time, silence descended and Ruby found herself hypnotized by Regina's earnest gaze. How she loved those twin pools of endless fascination. Regina could lie with the best of them, but her eyes always told the truth in a way that Ruby could decipher better than perhaps anyone alive.

It hadn't been difficult learn how read Regina's eyes, and Ruby often marveled that no one else had really bothered to try. They were so expressive, vividly relaying the story of the emotions she was feeling, and they were so deep as to be nearly inexhaustible in their ability to convey said emotions in way that often left Ruby breathless. At times such as this, she felt like she could get lost in Regina's eyes and be content to never return to reality again.

But then she heard the ticking of a clock from the wall opposite the door, and she was suddenly drawn back to the present. "Anyway," she cleared her throat after a moment, "seeing as you are up and about and looking _incredible_...how long have I been out of commission?"

Regina shifted a bit uncomfortably at the question. "You have been in the hospital for two days now. How are you feeling?"

Ruby groaned in response, both at the question and at the fact that she had been unconscious for two whole days. "Like I was trampled by a herd of angry ogres. What about you? Are you okay? After you got brought in...I've never seen you look like that. It scared me, Regina."

Regina reached down to smooth Ruby's hair back again, allowing her hand to linger as she brushed through it hypnotically. Ruby was surprised that her thick mane did not feel as terribly matted as it had been before she lost consciousness, but then again, she noticed that she felt rather clean in general.

Evidently the nurses had managed to wash her off when they brought her into the hospital. With the mess her body was in, she figured they probably had to in order to see what to fix. She was not going to complain, though, especially with how wonderful Regina's ministrations felt against her scalp. Ruby's eyes drifted closed for a second as she soaked up the soothing attention.

"I'm fine," Regina replied to Ruby's inquiry. The low timbre of her voice was warm and comforting to Ruby, bringing even further relief to her still-frayed nerves. "Surprisingly enough, Rumple actually did an exceptional job at healing my wound. Not that he's incapable. It's just that he's never extended such a courtesy to me before. But that's neither here nor there. I'm still a little tired, of course, but physically I'm perfectly healthy.

"As for how you feel, though, it's to be expected that you're going to be in pain for a while. Emma and I were able to mend all of your major wounds as well as the majority of the superficial ones, but some are going to have to heal on their own. Had we used much more magic on you, you might have overloaded. That would have done more harm than good considering the ordeal you went through."

"Yeah, that," Ruby sighed, opening her eyes again. As she did so, she witnessed an immense amount of sadness play across Regina's visage. "I wish I could say I didn't remember but I do – almost every second of it except the end. I remember waking up to you hovering over me, that you came to save me, but everything after that is a blank. How did I get here? And what happened to Joshua?"

At the mention of her tormentor's name, Ruby saw Regina's jaw clench and her eyes turn to steel.

"That monster is rotting in hell where he belongs, so let's agree right now to never speak his name again. Alright?"

"Okay, okay, I didn't mean to upset you," Ruby soothed, taking Regina's hand. She hoped to ground her volatile partner from the anger she could see building on her face. "What happened, though?"

As Regina returned the squeeze of her hand, her anger seemed to dissipate some. "I don't really remember either to be honest. My memories are fine up to a point similar to yours, but the rest are missing until I woke up in the hospital a day and a half ago."

"So how do you know that... _he_...is dead, then?" Ruby asked, looking around the room in a subconsciously fretful way.

Despite her desire that she never feel such fear again as she had during her time with Joshua, it was still stubbornly present. Logically she knew it was not only impossible to dismiss such trauma away so that it wouldn't bother her any more, but also unreasonable. After what she had gone through, there were bound to be aftershocks and side-effects that would crop up for months if not years to come. She would likely be looking over her shoulder indefinitely.

However, none of that meant she didn't wish she could just forget about the whole thing. For a second, she contemplated persuading Regina to make her a forgetting potion, but then she wouldn't remember the incredible feeling of waking up to the realization that Regina had come for her, had somehow managed to do the impossible and save her. That peerless show of devotion from the woman she loved was worth living through the day terrors and nightmares that were sure to come – terrifying though they were likely to be.

"I just do," Regina replied to Ruby's question, and then gently lowered herself to sit in the space between Ruby's hip and the side of the bed. Somehow, she had sensed Ruby's need for the comfort her proximity afforded, so she positioned herself as close as possible given the rather narrow hospital bed. Propping herself up with one arm on the other side of Ruby's body, Regina leaned over her a bit before continuing. "Taking a life with magic leaves a residue behind that can be sensed long afterward. I could always feel those lingering traces of death for weeks whenever I killed with my powers. I feel them now. That's how I know."

A reassuring expression then overtook the grim expression that had formed on Regina's face as she began to elaborate on her certainty that Joshua was dead. "Besides that," she elaborated, "Snow, David, and Emma were there, too, and had locked down the house. They swore to me that there was no way he could have escaped. They also informed me that there was enough blood in that basement aside from your own," at that Ruby winced, "for a person of his stature to have bled out. Adding that together with what I sense within myself, I am confident in operating under the assumption that I killed him." As Ruby had expected, Regina was unrepentant at her declaration. "I'm not sorry, though. He deserved whatever he got. So don't worry about him, he can't hurt you any more."

Ruby wished the knowledge that Joshua was dead would help her to get over the residual fear from her torture, but she couldn't stop the tremors from emerging as horrific images of what she had endured began surge through her head. As they relentlessly assaulted her mind from every direction, she felt her grip on reality begin to fade.

Suddenly needing the security of Regina's embrace, she lurched forward into waiting arms – heedless of the early warnings against such an action – and began to violently sob.

"Oh, sweetheart," Regina whispered, cradling one hand at the back of Ruby's head as the other gently soothed her back, which Ruby absently noted was free of pain. "It's alright. Everything is going to be okay. I've got you. I'm here."

"Don't leave me," Ruby cried, sobbing even harder as she tightly gripped the fabric of Regina's blouse, wrinkling it in the process. She hoped Regina didn't get mad, but with the memories of her torment mixing now with those of Regina's stabbing, her breakdown was tumbling out of control. Along with her rapidly-increasing disconnect from reality, she became even more hysterical. "I...love you _so_ much! Please don't _ever_...leave me! I need you. I... _need_ you!"

For a long time, Regina just held her, allowing her warmth to soak through Ruby's thin hospital gown down into her bones as Ruby cried and cried, shedding more tears in a shorter span than she ever had in her life. When at long last it seemed she had none left and had somewhat calmed down, she deeply inhaled Regina's scent. The familiar smell of her partner was so reassuring that it helped to calm Ruby, pulling her out of her temporary bout of hysteria.

Leaning back to create a bit of distance between them, Regina cupped Ruby's face in her hands and then wiped away the moisture staining her cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. Ruby felt her chin tremble as she noticed mirroring tears running down her girlfriend's face.

"It's okay," Regina whispered, leaning in to spread tender kisses over Ruby's cheeks, forehead, eyelids, nose, jaw, and lips. "It's okay, Ruby. I'm here and I will _n_ _ever_ leave you by choice. Okay? I plan to spend the rest of my life with you, however long that is. I want us to share a long life together, and it's my most sincere desire to be right by your side to henpeck you when we're both old and gray. Whatever I have to do to make that happen…I'll do it without hesitation."

"Promise?" Ruby sniffled, her eyes imploring.

"With all of my heart," Regina swore, leaning forward to kiss Ruby's forehead once again. "I'm not about to let what happened to us destroy our family. We have too much to be happy about."

As she spoke those words, Regina's hand deliberately came to rest on the still-flat planes of her own stomach. The gesture brought Regina's pregnancy back to the forefront of Ruby's mind.

She gasped, her voice raspy from her tearful exertions. "Oh! Regina, the baby! Is the baby okay?"

Regina smiled brilliantly at Ruby through her tears. "Yes, the baby is fine," she assured. "I knew that before I left the hospital the first time. It was the child you're carrying that I was concerned about."

Totally confused, Ruby gazed at Regina with a dumbstruck expression. "Huh? The child that _I'm_ carrying? What the actual hell?!"

Regina's smile only grew as she took Ruby's hands in her own. She then gave a rather suggestive leer as she delicately placed kisses on each of Ruby's knuckles.

"It seems I was not the only one that conceived on that very memorable night, my love."

Ruby knew exactly what night Regina was referring to as it had been what she had immediately thought of when Rumplestiltskin had so dramatically and unexpectedly announced Regina's pregnancy: the night of their 3rd anniversary almost a month before.

That day Ruby actually had taken off work early and begged Emma for a night off, which when she'd explained her reasoning, Emma was more than happy to give her. After bailing Henry out of school by leveraging a favor Snow owed her – along with assurances that his work would be still be completed – she raced home, her partner in crime in tow.

Since it had been months since Regina took even half a day off, Ruby figured a romantic night of relaxation was well overdue for the hard working mayor. She had decided their pending anniversary was the perfect opportunity, and when she discussed her idea with Henry, he had wholeheartedly agreed. Thus, Operation Seahorse was born.

To make preparations more efficient, she and Henry divvied up duties once they arrived at the house. For his part, Henry set about strategically placing candles in the foyer, hallway, and living and dining rooms, after which he set the table with the finest china Regina owned.

While he was busy doing that, Ruby had begun finishing up an intricate French meal she had started late the night before. She'd learned the recipes from her friend Remy who just so happened to own a little brick and mortar restaurant tucked in between two apartment buildings two blocks from the town square. To be sure she didn't muck it all up, she spent a few hours in Remy's kitchen, where he taught her the unique twists he put into his own versions of Franco cuisine. Ruby had never been a bad cook – growing up with Granny had ensured that – but learning from Remy had made her more confident in the kitchen, and she'd hoped very much that it would show in the meal she prepared for Regina.

When Henry was finished with his part, he came in to help Ruby finish up with dinner, and together they made efficient work of getting things ready. Once the food was all prepared and ready for cooking, she'd flitted up the stairs to set out various bath oils upon a little stand Regina kept near her very large and antique claw-foot tub. After that, she rifled through the linens until she found Regina's favorite towel – a giant, fluffy purple Turkish one that her girlfriend of extremely fine and expensive tastes had imported. All of that had been part of her plan to dote on her well-deserving partner.

Once everything was set, Ruby started dinner and then joined Henry in the living room for a quick session of Playstation. They had a blast as always, even though Henry trounced her every time and she was up and down checking on the food in between rounds.

About an hour later, with Regina due at any moment, game time was over, so Ruby rushed Henry upstairs to don his suit and after helping him with his tie, she went about changing into her dress. The one she chose was a shimmering, emerald green stunner Zelena had bestowed upon her.

"The color is perfect for you. It'll make your eyes pop," Zelena explained, her blue eyes twinkling.

Zelena had been extra keen on Ruby wearing the dress after hearing of her and Henry's plans for the anniversary event. Refusing to take no for an answer, Zelena had then proceeded to drag Ruby to her tailor – who just so happened to be Regina's also – to take measurements so that the appropriate adjustments could be made.

"And I don't want to hear any objections," she had then insisted, hands on her hips. "As the elder sibling, I simply can't permit my sister's woman to look anything less than spectacular for such a momentous occasion."

Knowing the dress was intended to be a gift beyond the ostensible one, Ruby hadn't the heart to refuse such generosity or the subtly hid affection behind it. And besides, it really was a perfect dress.

When the adjustments were completed a week later, Zelena had dragged Ruby back to the tailor's shop to try it on. Once there, Ruby promptly disappeared into a dressing room in the back, and then quickly divested herself of her clothing. After slipping on the dress, she looked at herself in the mirror, and had nearly lost her breath.

Zelena, much like her sister, was a curvy woman, but the newly adjusted fabric had been drawn in in such a way as to form to perfection against Ruby's slimmer hips. It then tapered smoothly down her legs to rest just above the knees. Defining the snug but comfortable top portion were sleeves that ended just off the shoulder along with a neckline that mostly hugged her collarbones. Only a slim portion of the front plunged down to give a playful peek of decolletage through a thin slit, making the exquisite dress one that was, as the feisty witch had claimed it to be, classy but sassy.

When Ruby had exited the dressing room, hair swirled up in a hasty up-do, she'd been greeted by a gaping mouthed red-head.

"Well, well, Miss Lucas," Zelena eventually said after recovery, her eyes roving over Ruby's body in a very obvious appraisal. "I knew you were a pretty thing, but I have to say, if my sister doesn't eat you up tonight, I surely might."

" _Jesus_ , Zelena! You can't say stuff like that in public," Ruby had gasped, blushing to the roots of her hair. The tailor had been lingering nearby, and Ruby thought she saw the makings of a smirk in the corner of his lips. "What if someone," her eyes cut over at the tailor who didn't bother to hide his amusement, "overheard and told Regina?"

Zelena merely cackled at that, stating that it would do her sister some good to believe her prize was not so secure as she might believe, and that it might make Regina's efforts in the bedroom all the more enthusiastic. Blushing again, Ruby had groaned, which delighted Zelena to no end. The verdant hued witch from Oz did so love to tease her. Still, the thought was not an unpleasant one. Ruby never wanted Regina to doubt her fidelity, but an occasional spur of motivation never hurt any relationship.

Once the moment was at hand for Regina to arrive home, Ruby made quick work of showering without mussing her hair and then put on the dress. With properly applied makeup that was understated but noticeable, Zelena was proven right. The color really did make her eyes pop.

Gulping nervously, Ruby had smoothed her hands down the fabric, willing her heart to slow down. It had been weird feeling like she was going on a second first date with Regina, but something beyond that had settled in her stomach. That night had felt special far beyond the celebration of an anniversary, and in a way Ruby could not quite manage to grasp.

By the time Regina got home at 6:30 pm, both Ruby and Henry were in place with dinner having just come out of the oven and waiting to be served. Waiting in the dining room, Ruby lit the wall-hung candles she and Henry had scrounged up while Henry greeted his mother. With his smart charcoal suit and tie, hair parted carefully to the left and a decorative pair of glasses adorning his face, he was serving as his mother's maître d' for the evening.

Ruby had been standing beside the table as agreed when Regina was led in. At catching sight of the carefully arranged room, she'd stilled in her tracks, almost comically wide-eyed. And then when her eyes caught sight of Ruby in her dress, she had audibly gasped.

"What is this?" she had asked after a moment, nearly breathless.

Ruby smiled her broadest, most heartfelt smile. "Happy Anniversary, hon!"

"We figured you needed a little something special," Henry added, beaming himself at having achieved their goal. "You earned it, Mom."

Regina was clearly both shocked and touched. Even standing by the table, Ruby had seen a hint of moisture gathering in her girlfriend's eyes. Henry then placed a hand at his mother's back, startling her out of her emotional state. "Come sit down. Dinner will be served in two minutes."

Without arguing, Regina let herself be led over to the table, where Henry pulled out a chair and guided his mother into her seat like a proper gentleman. Looking up at her son, Regina was almost in awe. "Thank you, Henry."

With a wink and deft bow, he replied, "You are most welcome, Madam. Dinner will be served in just a few minutes. Until then, enjoy the company," and then with not-at-all sly wink at Ruby, he set out toward the door. Regina's eyes followed him all the way out.

Ruby used that time to seat herself. "So, what do you think?" she asked as soon as she was settled and Henry had disappeared.

Turning from the door Henry had disappeared behind, Regina glanced at Ruby and then made a show of appreciating the portion of her dress left revealed above the table.

"Mostly, I'm overwhelmed," she said, "but I also think I'm a bit under-dressed. You look... _wow_. Remind me to thank Zelena for that dress." At that Ruby chuckled behind a blush, and Regina grinned somewhat mischievously.

"Thank you" she replied, feeling the flush spread down her neck from the heated way Regina continued to eye her. "But as for your state of dress, I didn't want you to have to get all gussied up tonight. It's is our anniversary, and this," she gestured around her, "is your gift. Henry and I are your gifts. You do so much for us, for Storybrooke, that we wanted to take this opportunity to pamper you the way you deserve."

Looking uncertain, Regina had diverted her eyes just long enough for Ruby to recognize some insecurity there. "Why?"

The question had nearly broke Ruby's heart but she remained resolute. "You're our Queen. We don't need any other reason."

The simple statement of fact seemed to floor Regina, her reaction revealing so much more beyond surprise at their gesture. The effort they had gone to on her behalf had touched Regina in a place that she had not been touched before, or if it had, it had been a very long time.

Looking like she was about to object to such attention being lavished on her, Regina began to speak, "Ruby..."

But before she could voice more of her protestations, Ruby interjected. "Nope! No objections allowed," she said, and then went on to describe in detail the plan of events for the evening. Regina listened as if spellbound, so many emotions playing across her face that Ruby couldn't give them all a name. They were all very satisfying to watch, however. "You just sit here and relax. In a minute, Henry will serve us dinner, and after we spend some family time around the table, I'm going to guide you upstairs and draw you a nice long bath. After that, I'll come back down to help the punk with the dishes.

"And then," she'd drawn out, reaching her hand into the middle of the table, where Regina took it, lacing their fingers together, "I'm going to come back up and take my sweet time washing your hair for you. I plan on doing an extremely thorough job massaging your scalp, so if you should fall asleep in the tub, that's fine, I'll wake you up before you catch a chill. But if not, I will then bathe you, and then dry you off by hand with the fluffiest towel you own. What happens after that is entirely up to you."

"Oh?" Regina had breathed, having become more and more entranced as she realized how serious Ruby was. And she was serious. If there was one thing being a peasant girl had taught her, it was how to serve nobility, and she had been determined to make Regina feel like the Queen she was once more. "And what if I'm interested in taking you out of that delicious dress?" Regina then asked, leering like a lioness about to pounce unawares on some poor wounded antelope.

Ruby had purred, getting excited herself. "Tonight, my Queen, I am yours to do with what you will," she answered in a husky tone. "If my body is what my Queen desires, then it is what she shall have, and for however long she wishes to have it."

The instant dilation of Regina's eyes indicated the intensity of her arousal, but before Ruby could retort with another suggestive comment, Henry came around with the food. It was a three course meal consisting of an interesting twist on traditional French Onion Soup, a main course of Très Rapide French Summer Tarragon Chicken served with glazed carrots and potato-celeriac gratin, and for desert, a sinful crème brulee that was the reason Ruby had first started chatting up Remy for recipes to begin with.

Against the ordinary rules of being a maître d', Henry had joined them for dinner. Once the meal – and Ruby was proud to say it was delicious – the three settled into an engaging conversation, and had such a wonderful time that over two hours slipped by before anyone noticed. It was nearly 9 pm by the time Henry politely excused himself to study before bed, leaving his mother with a kiss upon her temple and a demand that she let Ruby take care of her.

With Regina's promise secured, Henry departed and Ruby went about ushering her partner upstairs for her bath. Everything after that went according to plan, better really, for Regina did not once complain about having so much effort expended on her behalf. For once she seemed ready to accept that there were people who loved her so much that serving her hand and foot every now and then was not a chore to them, but rather an act of devotion that sprang from their belief that she was worth all of the planning and labor that went in to such an evening. It overjoyed Ruby that her proud girlfriend had accepted the attention without a fight, and had even seemed to revel in it.

 _The Queen is back_ , she'd thought as she tenderly yet diligently massaged shampoo into a boneless Regina's scalp, _and_ _she's right_ _where she belongs._

And just as Regina had hinted, after being thoroughly and attentively bathed and dried, she soundproofed the room with an unspoken spell and then went about unwrapping her emerald clad present. At the time, Ruby had thought the sex – while certainly not the most explosive or the hottest example in their repertoire – to be the best they'd ever had.

As Regina slept soundly in her arms later on, Ruby remembered the strange feeling she'd had earlier as she got dressed. Something, she felt, had happened that night. It was like something shifted that she couldn't put her finger on. She'd always felt extraordinarily close to Regina, but that night it stopped feeling like they were two different people for a little while, that instead they had done what a famous text of this world claimed unions of two people were all about: they had become one. It was an incredible feeling that left her speechless and in wonder, but so transcendentally happy that she had fallen asleep with a smile on her face.

Now she knew why she had felt that way, and was stunned that the reason was a bit more profound than she could have ever dreamed.

"But how?" Ruby was feeling perplexed into disbelief. "I mean one of us getting pregnant...it's crazy to think about, but okay, I can roll with that. Both of us at the same time, though? That just seems impossible."

"Is it really?" Regina asked in response as one perfectly black eyebrow arched. "I thought I would never get the opportunity to carry a child of my own, yet here I am. I thought dead was dead, and yet here you are. Apparently where True Love is concerned, the impossible is not quite so impossible after all."

Taking a deep breath, Ruby exhaled forcefully and then looked up at Regina through her eyelashes. It was just so hard for her to comprehend what she was hearing right now that she barely knew what to say. An embarrassing display of indelicate word vomit ensued.

"So, let me get this straight: the same night you got pregnant, I did, too? I mean, it was hard enough to accept that I knocked you up considering I don't have the parts to make that happen, but now you're telling me that at the same time, you knocked me up, too? That's just insane." But then it suddenly dawned on Ruby exactly what Regina was trying to tell her. Her brain had finally caught up to her ears. "So, wait, I'm pregnant? Like...really pregnant? With a baby?"

"No, dear, you were secretly impregnated by an alien," Regina quipped with an exasperated smile. "You'll soon give birth to a martian with black skin and huge eyes with a proclivity for ancient Roman martial accessories."

Despite the weightiness of the matter, Ruby laughed and swatted Regina's arm with the back of her hand. "Shut up! Don't make fun of me right now. I'm heavily medicated and overly emotional."

"I'm sorry," Regina halfheartedly apologized, smirking as she did so. "But yes, things are just as I said. Quite a shocking turn of events, but I'm pleased nonetheless. How do you feel about it?"

Taking a moment to sort out her own feelings, Ruby tried to think through what she had been told but was still hardly able to process it. As happy as she had been when she learned of Regina's pregnancy, she was mostly unsure what to make of her own, although her initial instinct was to be happy about this, too.

When she was a little girl, she had prayed and prayed to any god that was willing to listen for a big family. Being an only child, she had thought, was extraordinarily boring. She had wanted siblings to play with, but knowing that she would never have any because of Granny's advanced age and her mother's marked absence, she was willing to settle for living vicariously through her own future kids.

Even until her 18th birthday, she had carried a singular idea in her mind of the family she would someday have. In it, she would be married to Peter and they would build a little house on his parents property to live in. He would work in his father's mill, eventually taking over the business, while Ruby would forage and hunt in order to sell berries and valuable pelts in the market. The only detail that varied was of how many kids they would have. In most fantasies, they had three, as Peter had casually mentioned several times it was his ideal number. But in those rare fancies in which Ruby's most secret desires came out, they had more. Now it seemed she was going to get two at once and she was quite honestly flummoxed.

Seeing Regina looking at her with the expectation of a reply, Ruby decided to just be honest.

"When I heard from Gold that you were pregnant, I was ecstatic, of course," Ruby answered. "But I don't quite know what to think about myself. I guess beyond the shock, I just can't figure out how I feel yet. But I have to admit that I'm surprised it survived what happened to me. I mean, I don't see how it could have."

Ruby was specifically remembering taking several vicious blows to her stomach. It didn't seem possible that so delicate and tiny a being could survive such abuse. But apparently in another miracle to add to the growing tally of late, it had. If nothing else, her kid was certainly tough. Though she still remained somewhat conflicted, the thought brought a smile to her face.

"It's a mystery," Regina replied as she tucked another errant piece of hair behind Ruby's ear. "When I first got to you, I could feel the baby's life force, but it was very weak. So, when Whale told us after we brought you in that it was still alive, I was shocked. We all were to be frank when considering what happened to you. I wouldn't dare venture a guess as to how or why, but whatever the cause, I'm grateful.

"As for the rest, it's okay," Regina continued with much patience. "It'll take a while for you to come to terms with it. It took me a little while, too. But I know how you once felt about having children of your own, so more than anything else I want you to know that I love you, and that I will support you no matter what you decide."

"Oh, no, I'm not thinking about that," Ruby replied with wide eyes, understanding the implication. Even if she were still afraid of passing down her werewolf genes, she had within minutes become too attached to her unborn child to terminate. Such a visceral reaction encouraged Ruby that she would embrace her incredible gift soon enough.

"There _was_ a time that I didn't really want kids," Ruby elaborated, "but that was before I fell in love with you. Me being a werewolf was the only real obstacle to fulfilling my dreams of becoming a mother, but you've helped me get past that. Your unconditional support gave me the strength to accept myself even past what my mother taught me. I'm not afraid of being a werewolf anymore, haven't been in a long time, and I'm not afraid of what it means for our kids either. Do I worry about how they'll handle the change when it comes time? Of course. But I still want our babies. They are our twin miracles and I already love them both. I'm just shocked and overwhelmed is all."

"I understand completely," Regina smiled softly, though Ruby could see relief in her eyes despite her attempts to shield the reaction.

Gingerly, Regina laid her hand against the cloth covering Ruby's stomach, the gesture causing tears to gather in Ruby's eyes. The idea had already been taking root, but the physical touch of Regina's hands made it seem so much more real and tangible that she had a human life growing inside of her, depending on her to nourish it and protect it. It was kind of scary but also very exciting.

"They are our miracles, aren't they?" Regina rhetorically stated in a reverential tone. "I can feel the little life, the energy of it, reaching out for me. Our love created life, Ruby: _two_ lives, and they are both so strong already. If I believed in such a thing, it would almost seem as if this was our destiny. I don't know that there could be any other explanation. Still, whatever the case may be, we had to pay a terrible price for it."

Regina's last statement left Ruby confused once again. Her brows scrunched. "What do you mean? What price did we pay?"

Regina glanced down picked with her free hand at an invisible blemish on her pants. When she looked back up, she had her bottom lip tucked worriedly between her teeth.

"When I woke up, I had Henry call Rumple to the hospital," she then explained, her other hand still comfortingly pressed against Ruby's abdomen. "He offered an explanation as to why this happened to us. It was, as should be expected, the magic of True Love. But as you know, all magic comes with a price. Small acts of magic require a small price to pay and the inverse is true as well, large for large. Since there is no greater gift in the universe than that of life, the price required to create it unnaturally is therefore equally powerful: death. So when I died on the operating table, it was the price I had to pay for the life of our baby."

Ruby gasped in horror. "That's _awful_."

"Indeed," Regina nodded. "It's also why we never heard of such a thing back in the Enchanted Forest. Every woman who ever conceived as we did perished before ever bringing that life into the world. Fortunately for us, the technology of this world saved my life, effectively bringing me back from the dead."

Ruby's heart clenched. She worried her hands together at the possibility that because Regina yet lived, she had not totally fulfilled the requirements demanded for the creation of life through true love.

"So you're okay, right? There's not gonna be anymore dying on me is there?"

"No," answered Regina, shaking her head with a reassuring smile. "Rumple believes that the price has been fully paid and so do I. I technically did die and thus balance was restored. So long as the laws of magic are bent and not broken, which is the case with me, no further exaction will be required."

Upon hearing Regina's explanation, something suddenly dawned on Ruby. She looked at Regina with terror in her eyes.

"Wait a second, I'm pregnant by True Love, too, aren't I? Doesn't that mean I'm going to die as well?"

Sorrow was written all over Regina's face at the question. "If you can recall, you already have, my love."

"I don't understand," Ruby echoed herself from earlier, feeling very much like a broken record. Her memories of any conversations that had transpired after her revival were still very hazy and she knew it was possible that they always would be. "I actually died? When he stabbed me, it really killed me? Like, dead, voila, finito, sayonara, no-more-Ruby dead?"

"Yes," Regina sadly confirmed. "When I first found you, you were very much dead."

"So, Victor brought me back, too?"

"Something like that," was Regina's evasive reply. She shifted her weight toward Ruby to lean in a touch. "Listen, let's not talk about death anymore. You need to rest because your body is still recovering from your injuries and I need to call Henry to let him know that you woke up. He'll have my head if I don't. He's been worried sick about you."

Though her eyes narrowed with suspicion, Ruby did not fight against Regina when she gently pushed her back down to a prone position. Once settled comfortably, she stared at her girlfriend sharply.

"Why are you being evasive? You don't want to answer my question and I want to know why."

Regina shook her head in deflection. "It's not important right now. I will tell you all about it later," a lie, Ruby could tell, "but for now, please just rest for a minute while I go get Henry. Okay? Will you do that for me?"

Sighing, Ruby knew she would not be making any headway with her line of inquisition at the moment, especially with Regina looking at her with those imploring chocolate eyes.

"Alright," she sighed, "as long as you promise to be honest with me at a later time of my choosing."

"Fair enough," Regina agreed almost too quickly, and then leaned back over Ruby closely enough that their noses and lips were almost touching. "I promise I will tell you at your convenience."

As Regina grew closer, Ruby was far too distracted by plump red lips to do much more than nod absently in acknowledgment of the promise. She trusted Regina, and that would have to be enough.

Noting Ruby's eyes on her lips, Regina's smile turned soft with adoration.

"I love you, Ruby," she said, her breath warm against Ruby's lips.

The words drew Ruby's gaze back up to meet the intense eyes of her True Love. Just thinking of the fact that Regina was her True Love made her feel almost giddy. _However_ , she thought, _did I get so_ _lucky?_

"I didn't really realize just how much until I had lost you," Regina continued, "but I do now. I love you so much more than I've ever loved anyone in this way – more than my own life and more than my own breath. As such, I need for you to know that there is _nothing_ within my power that I wouldn't do for you. If I could, I would capture the moon and the stars and pull them down from the heavens just so I could gift them to you. And if it were required, I would tear the very veils of existence away to reach you. You are my heart in more ways than you will ever know, so let me say it one last time for good measure: I...love...you."

Once again, tears pricked at Ruby's eyes at Regina's impassioned declaration. She had been told many times in her life that she was loved, but never with such naked fervency. When considering that Regina was a woman who normally held her emotions close to the vest, it touched Ruby that she was so unreserved in her affection. While the heartfelt declaration was by no means the first time Regina said those words to her, Ruby could see in her expression and hear in her voice that she had never meant them as much as she did in that moment.

Overcome by a flood of love and desire, Ruby's lips began to tingle with anticipation and she found herself longing to be kissed by the amazing woman she was so blessed to share her life with.

"Geez, Regina, that was quite a speech," she said, reverting to sarcasm in her doubly vulnerable state. "If you wanted to get into my pants, all you had to do was ask."

Instead of being offended, Regina's face morphed into a humongous grin which made Ruby both nervous and unbearably aroused. She gulped.

"Oh, my sweet girl," Regina purred in her most seductive tone, "when we get home and you're healthy enough, I'm going to do so much more than just get into your pants. We have a _lot_ of missed time to make up for, and I intend to extract every seconds worth out of you."

Ruby groaned when she felt the heady flush of heat course through her body. "Don't make a girl promises you don't intend to keep."

Leaning forward, Regina shortened the tiny distance between their lips, tantalizingly hovering her own deliciously red lips over Ruby's to the point where they made the barest of contact.

"Haven't you learned yet? I always keep my promises," she whispered, and then sealed their lips together in simple kiss that was full of much more meaning than the comforting contact of such a union.

Ruby was ashamed to admit that she had kissed her fair share of people during her lifetime (most of them during the curse, and more than she could reliably count), but in her experience, no one could say more in a kiss than Regina could. To most people, kisses were sloppy preludes to the grand finale, but Regina's kisses were an act unto themselves. To Ruby, each kiss she received from Regina was a declaration of a love that sprang from a secret place within the reserved woman's heart, a place that she didn't often tap into, but when she did, she made it count. They were a way for Regina to speak silent vows of unwavering fidelity and eternal affection that were ironclad, sealed in the exchanging of her essence for Ruby's, and in that lens, they were every bit as intimate an expression of devotion as sex.

So when Regina leaned in close to deepen the kiss ever-so-slightly, Ruby breathed it in, accepting the unspoken promises and returning them with her own. And as she surrendered to the complex but wonderful feelings Regina alone could draw out of her, she was reminded of why she was so willing to suffer through hell if it meant keeping the woman she loved safe. No one else made her feel so real, so cherished, and so alive, and if Ruby had to die a thousand times over to protect that, she was prepared to do so. In the end, no matter what the price, Regina was worth paying it.

* * *

 ** **Notes** : **That was a nice change of pace after the meat-grinder of the past few chapters, I think. Quite a bit of discussion in this one, including Ruby getting dressed down and dealing with her own pregnancy. There was also a flashback to what precipitated the immaculate conception as it were, and to kick things off, there was visitation from a mysterious lady named Diana!

I'm sure everyone is confused as to the relevance of that whole scene with Diana, but that entire section is a bonus that I've added in an appropriate spot to seed some things beyond this story. So don't be concerned that Diana and what she revealed will never come into play. It will! Just not in this story. ;) I also threw in a hint in that part that relates to Joshua and why he went bananas. Did anyone catch it?

As for the RQ interaction, I wanted to strike a tone in this one that was hopeful but grave. What Regina and Ruby went through was awful, and I didn't want to gloss over that by making their first moments together afterwards mushy with romance (not that there is anything wrong with that; I am as big as sap for romance as anyone, but it has it's place I think). Furthermore, as the kickass thegirl20 pointed out, Ruby had some crap to answer for, and I didn't want her to get a pass for it. Her earlier recklessness was what inevitably caused all of their pain...that is, if the crazy lumberjack with an unhealthy vendetta isn't factored into the equation. =)

I hope the end of this chapter was at least somewhat satisfying after all I've put our girls through, but even if it wasn't, there will be more where that came from. So never fear my intrepid readers! The rest of the story pretty much exclusively deals with Ruby and Regina settling back into their life together post-Joshua, and though there will some rough spots as might be expected, there will also be more romantic moments, including one where we find out why Ruby took her second job (I've not forgotten about that!). I'm pretty sure it will be easy to guess.

Anyway, that's it for now. Not sure if I'll post another chapter this week or not. We'll see. For now, enjoy, and let me know what y'all think. Later taters. **  
**


	21. Seal It With a Kiss

**Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

 **Chapter 20** – Seal It With a Kiss

Unfortunately for Ruby, it was another day and a half before she got to go home, as both Victor and Regina had insisted upon her remaining under further observation for a minimum of 48 hours. Ruby had not been happy.

She hated hospitals, first of all. The pungent aromas and heartwrenching sounds that were unique to such a place did not sit well with her enhanced senses. The sickening antiseptic smells of soaps and bleaches and drugs lurked around around every corner, turning her stomach with every whiff. Low-pitched moans seemed to linger in every nook and cranny, emanating from from far off hallways where some poor soul was writhing in anguish through a constant, pervasive pain. Each sniffle of sorrow she heard was someone, she knew, who had just forever lost an irreplaceable part of themselves; the screams of grief and shouts of ER doctors and nurses fighting to save a life were inescapable. Death and pain were everywhere, no matter where she found herself in the large complex. Being in a hospital for Ruby was a traumatic experience, and as she was already processing her own, she lacked the capacity to deal the ambient noises and odors lamentably typical of human suffering.

Mostly, though, Ruby just hated being confined for so long, especially in an uncomfortable bed in a 183 square foot room. The very idea of being cooped up for 48 hours in a such a confined space was maddening, and that part of her that belonging to the wolf had almost immediately begun to rail against her freedom being taken away.

That being put under observation was for her own good did not matter to the wild animal that lived inside her. It objected to the restrictions placed on her despite all reason, creating an untenable situation not conducive to the triumph of rational thinking. It was the same part of her which the curse set loose to run amok, and which had compelled her to indulge every imaginable vice as she at last embraced the hedonist within that her mother had attempted to unleash. From promiscuous sex in back alleys and back seats and seedy bedrooms (often unprotected to her great shame); to copious amounts of illicit drugs, marathon sessions of imbibing knock-you-on-your-ass-strong alcohol; to pushing her beloved Camaro to dangerous, adrenaline inducing speeds down the curvy back roads of town; and to climbing as near she could to the top of the highest trees in the forest simply to howl at the moon until her voice was spent: Ruby did it all during those decades and in such abundance that it was a wonder she did not catch an STD or overdose or get herself killed due to her recklessness.

As it might be imagined, with that kind of wildness living inside her, her convalescence strained her self-control and patience, translating into her being a fidgety mess most of the time. Her misery was only compounded by what had just happened to her. As she laid in bed staring at the TV and watching reruns of _Fringe_ (Regina had gone home to rest, shower, and spend some time with Henry, leaving Ruby alone for the first time), she had been distracted by a feeling as if her wrists were still clamped in those cursed manacles. She tried to play it off, to ignore it as best she could, but she found herself almost constantly rubbing at the area of flesh that had once been nearly destroyed but was now perfectly whole.

Exacerbating the situation even further was her food situation. The atrocious portions and bland taste of hospital food left much to be desired. Ruby liked to eat. Hell, she _loved_ to eat. Her appetite, Regina had once commented, was more akin to a lion than a wolf, to which Ruby could not object. There were fully grown men the size of small barns that she could absolutely put to shame in terms of stomach capacity.

Once after spending the entire 3 days of Wolfs Time in the forest, she nearly ate Regina out of house and home during the subsequent week, and the sheer enormity of food she consumed worried her enough to approach Victor about it. After some tests to calculate her metabolic rate, he determined that her approximate daily caloric burn was 2062 during normal days (400 more calories than an average adult male) and ramped up to 3732 during Wolfs Time (2.5 times that of an average adult female). He speculated that the more active she was during Wolfs Time, the more her body would have to make up for the deficit afterward, explaining her occasional and prodigious binges.

She did not imagine that healing required as much energy as running, but she still felt underfed far too much of the time. And though it wasn't the fault of the hospital kitchen staff for not taking werewolf appetites into account when designing their menu, her gnawing hunger had her living precariously on the edge of meanness.

About twelve hours after regaining consciousness, she had been starving, her stomach grumbling almost painfully, and with the next appointed meal 2 hours away (and likely to be about as tasty as cardboard), her patience finally ran out. She decided to take matters into her own hands.

While Regina was out of the room making of a few business related phone calls, Ruby managed to sneak out undetected. Internally sniggering at the pathetic state of hospital security, she made her way down the hall to the vending machines where, with cash she'd surreptitiously pilfered from Regina's wallet, she purchased two pathetically sized bags of Doritos, two sandwiches – one ham and one turkey – and a Snickers bar.

As she made her way back to the room, she had greedily munched on her prizes, finding that the risk she had entailed was well worth the immense pleasure derived from the very unhealthy snacks. Once she arrived back at her room feeling satisfied with herself on multiple levels, she had slipped back in only only to be confronted by the stern and unyielding glares of an angry Madam Mayor and a professionally displeased Dr. Frankenstein.

Ruby had physically wilted under their intense disappointment. All of her earlier bravado fled as she made the short trek back to her bed, which had felt more like mile long journey on a road paved with shame. After slinking back into bed, she turned puppy dog eyes onto Regina, who at first was resolute in her indignation.

Fortunately for Ruby, Regina eventually chose to cut her some slack since she also harbored a healthy aversion to being caged. Her sympathy for what Ruby was going through, she explained, made her willing to be lenient so long as Ruby did not repeat the foolish action. It was too good a deal to pass up, if only to not have Regina look at her that way again for a very long time.

But while Ruby was very grateful for the reprieve from judgment, as the 48 hour window of observation passed by like a slug on hot concrete, she became increasingly unsettled and agitated. At times, she felt almost manic in her desire to bolt from the bed and escape from the building just to run the streets until her feet bled. Matters were not made any easier, either, by the steady stream of visitors and well-wishers dropping by at all hours of the day. It was nice to know people cared, but after the fiftieth person had filtered through the room, she was on the verge of snapping.

"Why can't they just leave me alone for one damn hour?!" she'd complained, her affable smile slipping the second Archie exited the room. Looking very much like a grumpy child, Ruby huffed.

Regina had merely tutted. "Suck it up, buttercup," she then said, a rather annoying smirk spreading over her lips. "If I endured it without resorting to violence, so can you."

Even though Ruby got what Regina was saying, she still spent the next hour seething with aggravation. Thankfully the visitations petered out after the first day, but the boredom and oppressive restrictions did not. By the time her release was scheduled to come through late in the evening the next day, she was pacing back and forth in her room as if she were indeed a caged animal.

At least in terms of her physical health, she felt almost normal again. Almost all of her wounds had been mended by a combination of Regina's magic and her own accelerated regeneration, so there was little physical reason to keep her hospitalized any longer. In fact, much to Ruby's relief, Victor had already been in an hour beforehand for one final checkup. After commenting on her marked improvement, he declared her ready to be cut loose.

Now, it was just a waiting game and it was one that Ruby was getting very tired of playing. To hell with the paperwork, she just wanted to go home.

"I wish you would stop pacing, dear. You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Regina commented in barely veiled annoyance from the corner of the room. Sitting primly in one of the uncomfortable chairs provided by the hospital, she recrossed her legs, raising a sable brow as she did so. She had been lounging there for the better part of an hour as she read the morning paper while they waited for Ruby's release to roll around at noon.

Ruby could not find it in herself to be affronted by her girlfriend's complaint. Regina had been extraordinarily patient with her the past several hours as her confinement had at last started to suffocate her. But Ruby was restless and wound up and chomping at the bit, so her sardonic answer reflected that.

"There's concrete under this linoleum," she retorted, still anxiously pacing. "It can take it."

In an example of her aforementioned patience, Regina merely chuckled and then stood up from the chair. Crossing over to Ruby, she gathered the pacing woman into her arms. At first, Ruby resisted, but as she always did, she soon lost all resolve and flowed into her beloved's embrace.

"Come now, it won't be much longer," Regina cooed while she rubbed slow and soothing circular patterns on Ruby's back. "We'll be home before you know it."

Ruby rested her head on Regina's shoulder with a sigh and they began to sway in unison to the naturally comforting rhythm their bodies provided. "Is Henry going to be there?"

Ruby heard a noise of confirmation. "He's been at the house since early this morning helping David clean up the mess from the foyer. He called an hour ago to say they were finished, so everything at home is ready and waiting for you."

"Mmmm, home," Ruby mumbled into Regina's shoulder like some kind of primitive cave woman. Regina's warmth and comfort often had the effect of reducing her to monosyllabic words in her thoughts, such as on this occasion: leave-now, want-home, see-hug-squeeze-punk, 'Gina-food-yum!, hot-bath-yay!, silk-sheets, and finally bed-'Gina soft-skin-warm-body-good-sleep. The final thought elicited an especially contented sigh.

"Indeed," Regina chuckled again, obviously amused by Ruby's rather inelegant response.

But then a stray thought from somewhere out of left field randomly popped into her mind, breaking the bubble of their nice moment. Stepping back out Regina's embrace, Ruby regarded her questioningly.

"Say, I never got to ask, but how exactly were you able to find me?"

For a second, Regina look startled by the non sequitur, but she quickly recovered. Looking down and away, she swallowed heavily and then wet her lips. The reaction made Ruby very curious, seeing as she knew that particular response very well. It was one that Regina only ever had when she was ashamed by something she had said or done.

For a second, Regina made no reply and Ruby thought she might have to prompt an explanation, but as she opened her mouth to do so, she was preempted by Regina.

"When I'd falsely believed you to be having an affair, I may have given in to a moment of temporary insanity and installed a tracker app on your phone," she finally admitted, having the grace wear a look of chagrin.

"Regina!" Ruby exclaimed, wide eyed as though shocked but secretly amused and not at all surprised.

Considering what the once devious Queen was capable of, the action – invasive as it was of Ruby's privacy – was rather tame. Regina could have easily used her mirror magic to spy in even more detail, and in a way Ruby almost wish she had done so. Had Regina utilized that particular talent, her fears would have ultimately been assuaged since she would have seen for herself that nothing of that sort was going on between Ruby and Emma.

But as it so happened, Regina had opted to employ a high tech means of subterfuge, which Ruby had to admit was an unexpected choice. Perhaps, Ruby mused, all of her harping on adapting to the 21st century was finally breaking through. If so, she was very proud of her somewhat technophobic girlfriend who still insisted that microwaves were crutches for people too lazy or incompetent to cook, smart phones were little more than electronic pacifiers, and that her dated but classic Mercedes was better than anything currently produced.

And though Ruby would have been well within her rights to feel betrayed by what Regina had done, she just couldn't manage to do so, not when she was almost wholly to blame for the situation. She understood why Regina felt the way she did and did not fault her partner at all. Due to Ruby's _Cool Hand Luke_ worthy failure to communicate, there were legitimate reasons for Regina to have suspected an affair.

If it were possible, Ruby would love to go back and change the way she handled the entire situation with her second job, but such pointless wishing was counterproductive and pointless. Time travel was impossible, and wallowing in guilt never got anything accomplished. So instead, she chose to accept a majority of the responsibility for the series of debacles over the past three months and in turn forgive Regina for hers.

Speaking in general, though, forgiving Regina came very easily to Ruby these days. She had lots of practice. Regina could be a hot-head and say and do things that were vindictive and hurtful, and when she was on a tear, no one was exempt from her wrath.

Many times over the years Ruby had triggered that legendary temper and bore the brunt of verbal tirades that probably would have scared any one else away. But Ruby had known from the very beginning of their relationship that Regina was not an easy woman to love, that she was flawed and made mistakes and could be mean as striped snake. That had never deterred Ruby. Not ever.

She loved the sweet woman who tenderly brushed her hair every night and braided it for work, who left her notes on the refrigerator in her elegant script reminding her not to forget the lunch that had been lovingly made just for her, and who called at odd hours of the day because 'I just needed to hear your voice'. But as much as Ruby loved _that_ woman, she also loved the rest of Regina, including the spiteful, sarcastic, and caustic, empress who ruled her town and her home with an iron fist; and just the same, she adored the fiercely independent, mule-like woman who loathed feeling weak or needy and who rarely accepted charity; and Ruby also cherished the no-nonsense motivator who rode her ass about getting chores or repairs around the house done in an 'expeditious and competent manner' and who pushed her and challenged her to never settle for anything less than perfection. What others would call character defects in Regina, Ruby considered to be the spice of life that made every single day of her life interesting.

Character quirks aside, however, Ruby understood how difficult it was for Regina to trust others with her heart. That developed tendency to distrust was what made Regina so quick to believe people were turning on her when they weren't, were doubting her when they truly believed, or were questioning her redemption when they had always been on her side. It was all because of the woman Ruby incidentally considered to be one of the worst examples of motherhood in history.

Rather than preparing her daughter to be a Queen as she had claimed, all Cora really managed to do was teach Regina through an empty heart and a heavy hand that even the people who should love her the most were capable of hurting her. It took a long time for Regina to realize that wasn't the case in the wider world – that her mother was a gross anomaly rather than the norm.

Thankfully, Regina had made great progress in that regard over time. She was now less apt than she once was to be skeptical of people's motivations, and had grown more trusting and more readily approachable. Though she was still acerbic and standoffish at times, she was much less prone to malicious or vindictive outbursts, and whenever they happened, people had finally begun to learn that it was just Regina being Regina. And that was okay. Ruby made sure to tell her that it was okay because she had never wanted Regina to change who she was, never wanted her to be ashamed of who she was but to be more open to letting people into her heart and her life. And that, Regina had most certainly done.

So no, it was not difficult at all for Ruby to forgive Regina for the misstep. Rather, the hard part was forgiving herself.

Ruby did not like to think about the fact that her actions had so perplexed and pained Regina that they caused her to doubt Ruby's fidelity. Her inconsiderate behavior had threatened Regina's personal growth and had tarnished the trust she had earned with her emotionally skittish partner, and Ruby felt so horrible about it that she knew the guilt would linger on long after her recovery was accomplished. She was going to have to learn to live with what she put them through, and yet, she hoped that what she planned for later tonight would begin the process of mending the hurt feelings on both sides of their relationship equation.

"I'm so sorry, Ruby," Regina then apologized, heartfelt remorse plainly written in her eyes and with a measure of self-hatred in her tone that made Ruby wince internally. She loathed herself a little more in hearing it, knowing that she was responsible for putting it there. "I know that I betrayed you, but I couldn't help myself. The thought of you with someone else – with _Emma_ _–_ was eating me alive. I know that's no excuse for my lapse in trust, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Ruby almost laughed at the absurdity of Regina's apology. Here she was, apologizing for installing a relatively harmless piece of tracking software on Ruby's phone and castigating herself for breaking Ruby's trust, when Ruby had done so much worse. Her actions back in the Enchanted Forest almost got Regina killed, and then her asinine reactions to that had almost ended in her own death. In the process, she had also endangered the lives of their unborn children. Regina was decidedly _not_ the one who ought to be apologizing.

"Hey, it's alright," Ruby replied as she raised her hand to caress Regina's cheek, and then leaned in to give her needlessly repentant girlfriend a gentle, consoling kiss. "I understand why you did it, and there is absolutely no need for you to apologize. I made you feel that way, so _I'm_ sorry." When Regina opened her mouth to protest, Ruby stopped her with another brief kiss. "But if it makes you feel better," she then offered, "I love you, so of course I forgive you. I don't want you to hold on to this guilt, okay? Let it go – for both of our sakes."

Regina nodded in at least partial acceptance. "Only if you promise to do the same."

Ruby smiled and leaned in close yet again. "For you, I will do anything," and then she sealed their lips together for another kiss, this one lingering and probing. When Regina tilted her head and whimpered into the kiss, Ruby wound her hands around the small of Regina's back and tugged her partner flush against her body. As always, they fit perfectly together.

If Ruby lived to be a hundred years so, she didn't think it would ever get old having Regina's perfectly feminine curves pressed up against her. And since enjoying that privilege would only get increasingly difficult over the next few months, Ruby was determined to get in as much touchy feely time as she could. Once they both started properly showing, it was going to be hard to get in any meaningful hugs, so Regina would just have to indulge her for the time being.

After parting from the dreamy kiss a minute later, Ruby rested her forehead against Regina's and gave a long, starry-eyed sigh. "God, I love your kisses. I swear, nobody else does it for me like you do."

Regina's eyes narrowed at Ruby in mock accusation. "Implying there have been many others. Just how many pairs of lips have you been kissing of late besides mine, Miss Lucas?"

Scoffing, Ruby rolled her eyes and then reached down to pinch Regina's rear, which produced a startled jump and an uncharacteristically high-pitched yelp. Coming from the always proudly composed woman made it doubly amusing.

Ruby grinned in delight. "Serves you right," she teased. "You should know by now that your lips are the only ones I want to be kissing for the rest of my life."

Regina purred and then batted her eyes coquettishly. "That was a _v_ _ery g_ ood answer."

Ruby had to bite her lip against the rising desire she felt. The hospital was not an appropriate place for what she wanted to do to Regina right then, and she didn't think Victor would appreciate them making a mess of the nearby counter-top, so she took a step back.

Clearing her throat, Ruby gestured toward the phone in Regina's left hand. "Seriously though, I'm cool with it...the tracker app. I mean, that you used it to find me, not that I want it left on my phone, 'cause I would really rather it be taken off. But the point is..." she took a deep drag of air, "I don't really care what you had to do, I'm just glad you came for me."

As the words left her mouth, Ruby remembered that she had left their home in her wolf form and laughed aloud at the subsequent thought. Her sudden shift in demeanor caused Regina to peer at her curiously.

"Sorry, it's just that when I left the house, I was on four legs instead of two," Ruby explained, a wide grin on her face, "and as you know, wolves don't have pockets. So I wasn't exactly carrying my phone with me. I guess it's a good thing that everything on my person gets magically stored while I'm shifted, otherwise locating me via my phone wouldn't have worked. Score one for the old werewolf genes!"

At that, Regina chuckled also, sharing Ruby's mirth in her characteristically deep and throaty tone. That sound was one that always stirred up Ruby's insides. In fact, it never ceased to amaze Ruby how every little thing Regina did was sexy.

Over the years, Ruby had been privy to many forms of said sexiness, and to be fair, she appreciated them all because she couldn't honestly think of very much Regina did that she didn't find addictive and intoxicating. Laughing Regina, as she was now, was sexy; crying Regina was sexy; sleepy Regina was sexy; angry Regina was sexy; and tired Regina was sexy, too; so was hateful Regina and silly Regina and happy Regina and even melancholy Regina. And then there was professional businesswoman Regina, who made being sexy all classy and elegant and effortless with her power suits and high heels and those tight-ass skirts that made Ruby want to bend her over the nearest flat object so she could ravish the woman senseless, propriety be damned.

But the most sexy Regina of all was amorous Regina, who simply redefined the term and had the singular ability to ruin Ruby's panties with one heated gaze from infinite chocolate eyes. The woman was simply sex on legs. Ruby had never possessed enough strength to deny Regina was she was feeling frisky, not that she had ever wanted to. On the contrary, Regina being in the mood usually was enough to put Ruby in the mood, even when she was physically or mentally spent. In full on sex kitten mode, the woman was a force of nature capable of conquering the most indomitable of objectives. Ruby hadn't stood a chance.

Just to please Regina, Ruby had done things and said things and tried things during sex that she would never have been caught dead attempting otherwise. Regina was a worldly woman with experience beyond against-the-wall quickies and brief, violent romps that could wake the dead; thus she took every opportunity to instruct Ruby on the art of love making, showing Ruby how best to please her as well as how best to please herself.

In the process of expanding Ruby's horizons, Regina introduced Ruby to experiences that made her shudder with anticipation just to think about, and had it not been Regina doing the teaching, Ruby would have never learned to embrace the abilities and needs of her own body. She would never have learned to let go with her lover in order to experience the bliss of complete surrender, would have have discovered that she could reach completion over and over and over again before succumbing to exhaustion, and would never have come to understand that carefully controlled pain could make pleasure so exquisite that her brain literally stopped working for short bursts of time.

Regina, all things considered, was simply incredible. And aroused as she was becoming by her thoughts and Regina's mere presence, Ruby was having an extraordinarily hard time controlling her overly active libido.

Wanting very much to pounce on Regina right then and there, she was tragically interrupted by a knock on the door. It opened to reveal Emma, who then stepped into the doorway waving Ruby's release papers with a wide grin on her face.

"I've come to spring you," she said, and if she had witnessed the electrically charged atmosphere of the room, she made no mention of it. Emma was an observant woman, so she probably did and was just being respectful. Ruby decided she owed her friend a Carrot Cake, one of her baking specialties.

"Thank God," Regina sighed.

"Ass," Ruby playfully replied along with a light tap to Regina's shoulder from the back of her hand.

Regina peered back in faux innocence. "What? You were about to give me gray hairs with all of your fretting and pacing. I'm not ready for that phase of my life just yet."

"Don't worry, sweetness," Ruby drawled. "You'll totally rock the silver if and when it ever appears."

Regina huffed, rolling her eyes even though she was obviously touched. "An appreciated complement it may be, but don't _ever_ call me sweetness again."

Ruby pouted. "But you let me call you 'babe' and 'hon' and 'sugar' all the time."

"Well," Regina huffed, "I allow that only because I love you and I happen to think you are too adorable to resist. However, my tolerance has its limits."

Ruby preened for a moment at being called adorable, but a feeling of dangerous mischievousness had her smirking. "But what's so bad about sweetness? You don't seem to mind it whenever I refer to you as _mi sabroso trozo de tarta de manzana caliente_."

"Ruby Lucas! That was completely inappropriate!" Regina growled in protest, and Ruby laughed at the way her face turned beet red. She loved to tease Regina in Spanish, often to laments from her sophisticated girlfriend that she regretted ever teaching Ruby the language.

With so few people in Storybrooke capable of understanding it (only a handful of individuals from Xavier's kingdom came over in the Curse and they all were provided with knowledge of the relatively equivalent language), Ruby could get away with making lewd references like that in public. It was a good thing, though, that Emma was one of said residents, because otherwise Regina probably would have roasted her alive over a spit.

Holding her hands up, Ruby apologized hoping to avoid incineration, though her eyes were twinkling in merriment. "I just had to. It was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"Yes, well...next time perhaps consider that the people listening in on the conversation, such _Emma_ here, might be learning Spanish."

Ruby's jaw dropped. Why had she not heard of this? "Are you serious."

Regina crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "I have been personally tutoring her here and there over the past six months, so yes, I'm serious."

Looking over at Emma, absolutely mortified, Ruby found her friend trying to restrain a howling bout of laughter. Bursting at the seams almost, Emma leaned against the doorway, looking like the cat that ate the canary. "I'll never look at a turnover the same way again."

"Oh, God," Ruby groaned, dreading the indefinite ribbing she would take over this. She flushed with color so intensely that she wouldn't have been surprised had her hair turned redder Zelena's.

"Yes, dear," Regina then added, her offended visage somewhat more relaxed. "Pray to God in thanks that I'm in a permissive mood."

The ostensible forgiveness had Ruby sighing with relief. "Thank you. Had I known Emma could understand what I was saying..."

"Behaving in a civilized and tactful manner does not require awareness, Ruby," Regina interrupted, stern in admonishment.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Ruby bit her lip in remorse and turned large eyes at Regina, who scoffed. Still, she lost what was remaining of her stiff posture.

"So," Emma then drawled from the doorway, hiding a smile behind Ruby's release papers, "now that that's settled: you ready to blow this joint?"

The welcome change in subject was only eclipsed by Ruby's joy at finally being free of her sanitized prison. "Hell, yeah!" she exclaimed, and wasted no time in crossing over to the door where she enthusiastically hugged her friend and co-worker.

Like the stealthy old pro she was, Emma utilized the embrace to pass Ruby the item she had been sent to collect earlier.

When Emma had visited before heading in to the Station, Ruby had used the opportunity to give Emma a very specific set of instructions. After retrieving her credit card from her wallet in the cabinet opposite the bed where the rest of her things were stored, she passed it to Emma.

"Go to Midas' Touch," she carefully instructed. "Since her father got sick, Kathryn has been picking up slack in the store during her off hours. Tell her to charge the item I picked out to my card and then bring it to me. Okay?"

Knowing what was afoot, Emma crushed Ruby in a tight hug. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, and Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's exuberance. But then she suddenly pulled back, her hands still attached to Ruby's shoulders. "You're finally gonna go for it, aren't you?"

Ruby bit her lip and nodded, and it was all she could do not to tear up at the radiant grin Emma gave her, one that was nearly matched by the one Storybrooke's greatest hero and Ruby's dearest friend was currently wearing.

In response to feel of the velvet box in her hand, Ruby pulled away much in the same way Emma had to look into the Savior's sea green eyes. "Any problems?" she asked, keeping her voice modulated so as to shield Regina from the object of their discussion.

From behind her shoulder, Ruby could feel her girlfriend's laser-like glare boring into the back of her head back. _If only she knew_ , she thought. Regina hated secrets and this was the mother of them all.

"Nope," Emma answered at an equally low volume, her lips popping on the 'p'. "You're all good." Emma then nudged Ruby by the elbow. "Hey, you did good by the way. She'll love it!"

Ruby ducked her head as she flushed with relief. She had picked out what she believed to be the perfect thing for Regina, but uncertainty had plagued her right up until that moment. Emma's approval meant more than she realized.

Raising her head, Ruby looked at Emma through her lashes. "You think?"

Emma's fervent nod, which caused her ponytail to bob with the motion of her head, was accented by a proud smile which put her envious cheekbones on display. "I think it's perfect."

Blushing slightly, Ruby took a moment to study her friend. Emma's smile really was lovely, especially when it was so genuine and heartfelt and unfettered by the burdens of responsibility or jaded memories of her childhood. To Ruby, Emma was unique and irreplaceable. She was gorgeous, loyal, compassionate, tenacious, and strong, and Ruby was so very proud to call her a friend.

There was a time, though, in which Ruby had hoped her friend would wind up being much more than that. During the curse, Emma had been the only person other than Granny who showed a genuine interest in her for more than just her physical attributes. When Emma first arrived, Ruby had felt an instant connection with the striking newcomer, and the more she got to know the person behind the pretty smile and blonde curls who had seemed to turn all of Storybrooke upside down by her mere presence, the more she found herself succumbing to feelings she hadn't experienced in a very long time.

Those nascent affections had only been exacerbated by the all-too brief stint working for Emma when Kathryn went missing. Working in such proximity to the woman she was had been crushing on enlightened her to the reality that the attraction was developing into something deeper. Ruby had realized with no small amount of trepidation that she was starting to fall in love with Emma, and even though Emma was a very difficult person to read, Ruby had thought she was getting some signals that indicated Emma reciprocated her feelings.

But then Emma got caught up in the drama with Henry and Regina, and with Mary Margaret who was constantly getting herself into trouble. With so much on the new Sheriff's plate, Ruby hadn't been able to figure out where or how she could fit into the picture. As such, she had respectfully chosen to establish some distance in the hopes that once things settled down, there might be a chance to pursue whatever she had felt building between them. That chance never came.

It was the curse breaking that finally put an end to Ruby's hopes for a romance with Emma. Finding out that the person you were falling in love with just so happens to be the daughter of your best friend, and by consequence your goddaughter, has the tendency to put a damper on any such feelings. That new relation to Emma had drawn a line that Ruby was unwilling to cross, no matter how much she had wanted to.

For a while after that, she had satisfied her lingering attraction by imaging what would have happened if Emma had just been some stranger passing through. In those fanciful scenarios, Ruby would have eventually worked up to the boldness to plant a kiss on Emma, and after recovering from the shock, Emma of course would have reciprocated. It wouldn't have taken them long, in Ruby's estimation, to fall into bed, to get all tangled up in each others lives until there was no separating them. The conclusion she came to was that in another time and another life, she and Emma would have wound up together, on some level, she believed Emma felt the same.

It took quite some time for Ruby to move on from those feelings, but eventually she did, much in part to her increasing isolation from the Charming clan. But she had determined to never relinquish her platonic affections for the kind and generous woman who had broken her out of the shell of the curse, and in time, came to be a foundational element in her life.

In many ways, Emma was her best friend now. Back in the Enchanted Forest, Snow had assumed that role for Red, but they were not in the Enchanted Forest anymore and she was no longer Red. And while it was certainly true that she still identified with the person that she used to be, Storybrooke had changed her in ways she hadn't thought possible. By and large she was Ruby now, not Red, and although nothing could ever sever the deep emotional bond Red shared with Snow, Emma was Ruby's best friend. Thankfully, Snow seemed to understand that and had accepted her new place in Ruby's life.

"What's perfect?" Regina asked curiously from closer behind Ruby's shoulder than she had been. Her voice interrupted Ruby's sidetracked thoughts.

When Ruby shifted her stance to better see Regina, who was eyeing the two women suspiciously, she angled her body to hide the box she was holding in her left hand, and passed it back to Emma. "You'll see soon enough," she then answered mysteriously with a tilt of her head and a waggling of her eyebrows.

Regina scoffed in plain annoyance. "I hate surprises, and you know that."

"I do, but you don't hate all my surprises," Ruby countered.

"Oh?" A sable eyebrow rose in disagreement. Ruby gulped. Regina was suddenly combative, and that did not bode well. "To which surprise are you referring? Perhaps that ridiculously skimpy Victoria's Secret negligee you bought for me to wear – all for your own benefit I might add? If you'll remember, I hardly enjoyed that highly uncomfortable selection."

"Okay..." Emma drawled in response, taken aback by both the visual images Regina's words provoked and the woman's unusual bluntness concerning such delicate matters. "I did _not_ need to know that."

Ruby sighed in exasperation, completely ignoring Emma as she glared at Regina with her hands on her hips. " _Seriously_? You're going to drop that so casually after calling me out for being inappropriate? Hello pot, meet kettle!"

"Point taken," Regina conceded, though in a confrontational tone that contradicted her sincerity. She still looked extremely irritated, Ruby noted. "But that doesn't invalidate the sentiment."

"Please." Ruby then scoffed. "I don't even wanna to hear it. You sure didn't seem to mind my reaction to that ' _uncomfortable selection_ '. In fact, I don't seem to remember much complaining at all from you in the hours that followed. Moaning, sure. Some screaming, too, but no complaining."

"You did _not_ just say that out loud," Regina gritted out hotly, her face inflaming as her posture stiffened. "My _God_ , Ruby. Have you no tact at all?"

It was clear to Ruby that Regina's lashing out was partly due to secrets being kept from her, but it was also partly from having spent nearly two days and nights in the hospital with Ruby, fretting over her health and trying to come to terms with everything that had happened. It was little wonder that it took Regina so long to finally erupt.

But even though Ruby was aware of what was driving Regina's behavior, she was equally as frayed. Unfortunately, both their short fuses chose the same time to short.

"As I just said: hypocrite much?" she spat back, despite her internal warning that she was going to go too far. "To answer your question, though: I guess not. I think you already knew that. Don't you remember what you called me that one time?" Ruby looked up to the ceiling as she tapped her chin in an exaggerated manner, feigning wracking her brain for the phrase. She snapped her fingers when she 'pretended' to remember it and then focused hardened eyes back on Regina. "Oh, yeah! I think it was 'an uncouth heathen'. Well, I sure am, ain't I? As a matter of fact, I'm surprised that I have any teeth left and am not currently dressed in overalls and straw- _freakin'_ -hat. Hell, I bet somewhere down the line I'm related to myself, too!

"And by the way, yes, I _so_ did say that," she forged ahead in a sing-song manner, now running on a full head of steam. "Oh! And let's not forget about that hot little red piece you got for me a couple months ago. I seem to recall you were pretty insistent I wear it for you and you know what? I took it like a champ even though it barely had enough fabric to cover a kneecap!"

"Yeah, didn't need to know that either," Emma sighed from behind Ruby's shoulder. She pinched the bridge of her nose in dramatic exasperation when she noticed the vein in Regina's forehead prominently emerge along with an increasing redness to her face. When she opened her mouth to retort, Emma cut in, clearing having heard quite enough. "Alright, ladies, alright! That's enough. Cool it!"

At Emma's outburst, both women returned to awareness of where they were and of the fact that were not alone in the room. Emma almost laughed aloud at their subsequent mortification.

"Geez, I swear you guys are worse than an old married couple sometimes."

"That's because we essentially are one, Miss Swan," Regina stated in annoyance. "We only lack the paperwork and the rings. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I need some air." Without another glance at Ruby, she then hastily nudged her way through the door and disappeared down the hallway.

Both Emma and Ruby looked at each other with equal amounts of shock at Regina's choice of words.

When Emma absently handed Ruby the box once again, Ruby looked at her friend, half-terrified. She took the box with a shaky hand. "Do you think she knows?" Suddenly sobered from the emotional high of arguing with her obstinate girlfriend, which tended to get her blood pumping, she began to dread the rapidly approaching confrontation that would ensue had Regina indeed figured things out.

"No way," Emma replied, shaking her head. "If she suspected something, we'd know 'cause she'd let us know she knows...if that makes sense."

"Yeah, it totally does," Ruby sighed. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that, Em."

Chuckling, Emma shook her head in amusement. "It's cool, Rubes. Nothing I haven't heard before with you two. You argue like cats and dogs, no pun intended, but it's just 'cause you love each other. In a way it's kinda sweet."

"It kinda is, isn't it?" Ruby agreed, chuckling herself. Her relationship with Regina was special. It had its moments where she wanted to tear her hair out by the roots, but mostly she lived for the arguments just as much as she did for the tender exchanges. Touching Emma's elbow, Ruby gave her friend a grateful smile. "By the way, thanks for everything, especially for the advance on my paycheck for this week. I mean it, you're a lifesaver. I owe you big time."

"You're welcome," Emma replied warmly, "and you don't owe me anything. I was glad to help. Besides, it's the least I could do with what you just went through."

Pausing, Emma regarded Ruby as if she were hesitant to admit what she was about to. "I have to say, though, I'm really gonna miss you at the Station, 'cause I really enjoyed having you as my partner these past few months. And you're good at it, you know? You have impeccable instincts...better than anyone I've ever worked with before. Plus it was nice having someone to talk to down there who isn't a family member or a criminal."

As she smiled in response, Ruby tilted her head to give Emma a secretive look. "Yeah, about that: I'd really like to stay on. Despite how hard it is sometimes, I love it the job, and you're right, I'm good at it. It's like I was born to do it. So, give me a call in about a week...you know, to give me some time to butter Regina up to the idea. I don't want her to have a conniption. I mean, that is if you'll have me?"

Emma's green eyes brightened greatly and she nodded. "Yeah, of course! I can do that. I'd love to make your position permanent and I know Dad would too. That way he can have some more time off with Mom and Neal. We had kinda already agreed about extending you the offer anyway."

"Then its settled, so long as Regina's okay with it," Ruby said with a grin. "But listen, I really need to catch up with her and soothe her ruffled feathers. I don't wanna leave her out there brooding for too long, especially since it was my fault."

"Probably a good idea," Emma chuckled as she passed Ruby's release papers to her. "Listen, I have to pick up Henry tonight and I know you guys won't be up for company, so I won't stick around. But I'll call you first thing tomorrow – you know, to see how things went."

"Yeah, sure. That sounds good," Ruby replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

Reaching out, Emma rubbed Ruby's arm reassuringly. "Hey, it's gonna be fine, you'll see. There is absolutely no way she says no."

Ruby worried her bottom lip at Emma's insightfulness. "I hope so. It's just...I know how she feels...felt about it, but for some reason I really need to do this. I dunno, I can't really explain why I need this so much. I guess I just want her to have something tangible that shows her I'm in this 100% - for forever."

Grasping Ruby's shoulder, Emma looked at her with a sombre though encouraging expression. "She already knows that, Ruby," she said. "You just heard her. She already considers herself as yours and you as hers. She doesn't need a ring for you to prove it and I know you don't either.

"Just the same, I think she wants this just as much as you do, so ask her. She'll say yes because she loves you and she wants to be your 'lawfully wedded wife', just like you want to be hers."

Touched, Ruby nodded silently as an errant tear leaked down her face. She had really needed the confirmation from someone else outside the exclusive bubble of herself and Henry, who had been enthusiastically supportive of her decision since she first posed the idea to him almost 3 months ago. Hearing Emma basically validate her read on the situation gave Ruby the extra boost of confidence she needed to move forward.

"Thank you, Emma," Ruby whispered, gathering her friend into another tight hug. "Thank you for being such an amazing friend." Stepping away, Ruby clutched Emma's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Thank you, Ruby, that means a lot – more than you know," Emma replied around a sniffle and with a watery smile. "Now, go get your Queen before she comes back and lays down the law on your uppity ass."

Ruby laughed and then shook her head. Sometimes Emma's way of phrasing things killed her. When she settled a moment later, she stepped up into the doorway. "I'll talk to you in the morning then?"

"That's the plan," Emma confirmed. "And Ruby...good luck."

Before leaving, Ruby smiled at Emma affectionately, eternally grateful for the kind and understanding woman that had come into her life like a whirlwind those many years ago. She counted herself as remarkably fortunate to have someone as amazing as Emma Swan in her life.

"Thanks, Em! Catch ya later!"

With a wave – which Emma returned – Ruby departed the room and jogged down the hallway to the hospital entrance. To hide the ring, she stuffed it inside the jacket slung over her arm. She didn't want to risk Regina finding out if she hadn't made the deduction on her own.

After arriving in the lobby, she looked around, but was unable to spot Regina. However, upon peering at the glass lining the front of the building, she noticed her girlfriend standing just outside the doors in the cold. From where she was standing, Ruby could see the tight expression on her face and that her arms were crossed tightly over her chest.

Ruby exited the hospital and cautiously approached her annoyed girlfriend. Shivering due to the cold, she wished she had thought to tell Emma to deliver the ring to the house. Her jacket would have come in very handy to ward off the chilly New England weather.

"Hey," she gingerly greeted, her breath visible in puffs of white mist.

Regina turned to meet her eyes, still seething at the hurtful exchange back in the hospital room. Suitably shamed, Ruby ducked her head.

"I'm sorry I went off the handle in there, I didn't mean it," she said, making sure to sound as remorseful as she felt. She winced at the lance of hurt that passed through Regina's eyes. "My nerves are raw and I got aggravated, but I shouldn't have said those things, especially in front of Emma. I'm really, really sorry." To complete the apologetic picture and figuring it was appropriate considering the way she felt, Ruby gave Regina her most pitifully exaggerated puppy dog expression.

With a heaving sigh, Regina initially regarded Ruby with a tense look, but it slowly melted into affection. After a few seconds of silence, she extended her arm out to run a gloved finger down Ruby's cheek.

"I forgive you, of course," she replied. "I love you too much not to. But I should apologize as well. I shouldn't have provoked you. I knew you were on knife's edge, yet I did so anyway. Will you forgive me?"

"Mmmhmm," Ruby hummed with a lazy smile, nodding dramatically as she worked her way into her girlfriend's arms. "Seal it with a kiss?"

Smiling lovingly in return, Regina closed the distance between them.

"We have an accord," she whispered against Ruby's lips and then sealed them with her own.

After a few moments of enjoying the taste of one another, they parted, foreheads resting together as their eyes locked in a silent conversation in which only their hearts were speaking. It was weird, Ruby thought, that it felt like her heart was literally being pulled toward Regina's so that they could join together into one organ. She had never felt that way before, but it was nice, comforting even, to know her heart wanted to become part of Regina. It made Ruby feel closer to her than ever before.

For a least a minute, they contented themselves to stand in the embrace, brown eyes on green, both filled with adoration and devotion borne of enduring unimaginable horrors and coming out the other side unified in ways they couldn't even define. Their love had been tested by a force greater than human conception – a force that shaped the lives of mortals and immortals, of deities and demons alike, and which formed worlds and galaxies, molding them into their shapes and setting their orbits – and they had passed.

"So," Regina then spoke, breaking the magical moment as she stepped out of Ruby's embrace to offer her arm. "Are you ready to go home?"

Ruby looped her own arm with Regina's and then grinned. "I am beyond ready. Let's go!"

And home they went. After all, as Zelena's least favorite movie of all time so appropriately declared, there was no place like it.

* * *

 **Notes** : Not much to say about this one, really, except I didn't want to give a false depiction of a relationship between two headstrong alpha females. In my opinion, Ruby and Regina are going to have fights, and they will get dirty at times. It's how they handle them that matters, that defines the health of their relationship. I hope that came across.

Also, I wanted to ask, did anyone figure out beforehand what Ruby was doing by taking her second job? If you did, let me know! Also, I want to inquire as to whether my end notes are a little too descriptive. I wouldn't mind prompting a bit more discussion, so if I'm answering all of your burning questions in my notes, I'll be sure to be less revealing.

Next one should be up at the normal time; that is, Tuesday around 7 est-ish. It will be from Regina's PoV, as will be the following chapter. In those, the Mills family has a sweet reunion, and then Regina helps Ruby through a tough night. The week after that will see the last full chapter and the epilogue being published. It's almost over folks! I'm kinda sad.

Anyway, see y'all then. Enjoy!


	22. A Tiring Day

**AN 3/17/17** : Edited out a mention of the wolves in SB being native.

 **Chapter 21** – A Tiring Day

"We'll be there in five minutes or less. I'm driving her home now."

Regina adjusted the phone nestled between her ear and shoulder as she spoke. Trying to maintain her grip on the steering wheel, keep her eyes on the road, and carry on a conversation all at the same time was not particularly difficult for her, but she could see the wisdom behind laws prohibiting such behavior. Accidents happened when people were fully focused on the task of driving; it was, therefore, not a great leap in logic that the likelihood of having an accident increased dramatically when the driver – however skilled – was distracted in any way. Talking on the phone was just the latest, and perhaps most egregious, example that.

Now that the barrier concealing the town was permeable to those permitted passage (a feat accomplished nearly two years ago), modern technology was slowly filtering into Storybrooke. Along with the influx of laptops, televisions, medical devices, and Blu-ray players, smart phones were being made more readily available. As a consequence, there was a spike in accidents related to phone usage, and Regina had deemed it necessary to push the town council toward adopting measures similar to those implemented in the greater world around them. The council had agreed on the prudent course of action, and a year ago she signed the measure into law prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving.

And yet when Henry had called, she felt answering worth the low risk of impeding her concentration or the slightly greater risk of her being caught and fined. She could not afford to take a chance on her son's safety. In Storybrooke, anything could happen on any given day, so as a parent her responsibility was to her son first and to herself and Ruby second – something that Ruby not only understood, but agreed with. And thus Regina found herself willfully breaking laws she had personally championed.

 _Hypocrite, thy name is Regina Mills_ , she thought, but did not feel even a little bit guilty.

" _How is she?_ " Henry then asked, and at the referral to Ruby, Regina glanced over to the passenger seat where her brunette partner was dozing in a rather uncomfortable position.

With her head askew and drooping down so that her chin rested upon her chest, Ruby's earlier protestation that she was 'probably too amped up to sleep for the next 24 hours' was proven premature. It was as Regina thought. Ruby was in denial about her recovery, having been lulled into a false sense of security by how quickly she regained mobility. As a werewolf, Ruby was a quick healer, but her body had absorbed too much punishment for even her to have completely recuperated in only two days.

When Ruby gave a little sigh a moment later, almost like she knew she was being watched, her eyelids fluttered slightly. For a second it appeared that she might wake up, but then she took a deep breath and grew slack once more.

The touching sight prompted Regina to smile as she turned her attention back to the road. She was taking a circuitous route so that Ruby could snooze a few extra minutes before they were home and she was besieged by the excitement of her first day out of the hospital and the well-wishers that bound to drop by and visit them.

"Despite her insistence to the contrary," she at last answered Henry's question, "she is asleep at the moment. She she lasted about two minutes once we were on the road."

Regina heard Henry huff out a short breath. " _Well_ , _that's not really surprising is it?_ "

There was a good reason Ruby was sleeping so much, so Regina obviously agreed. "No, it's not. But it is to her. She thinks because she's feeling better she'll be back to her ebullient self in a day or two. And that's not the case by a long shot."

Although Ruby had been returned to health by magic and by the skilled hands of Victor Whale, there were lingering aftereffects of the profound trauma inflicted upon her that would take much longer to sort out. And while Regina, with Emma's help, had healed the worst of Ruby's wounds, there were micro-injuries that would have to heal on their own. It's why Ruby continued to be tired and was sleeping much more than usual; her body was doing its work, taxing her normally overabundant supply of energy. But Ruby being Ruby refused to accept that.

"I feel fine. You and Emma fixed me," was what Ruby had said earlier in the day, casually dismissing yet another of Regina's concerns that she slow down her frenetic pacing.

The highly educated sorceress in Regina had been sorely tempted to castigate such a narrow-minded point of view. But then she remembered that Ruby was of a social class that was, in general, unlearned in the particulars of magic, and thus could not be faulted for her ignorance.

It was a common misconception that magic was a cure-all for any ailment or injury when the sheer complexity of the human body, an incredibly intricate and delicate machine, made it virtually impossible even with the most potent of magics to repair every single ruptured capillary or mutated strand of DNA or damaged cell. There were simply too many variables and systems and interdependencies to account for everything. The most skilled magicians could not replace the bodies natural functions; the best they could hope to do was to enhance or supplement them and then allow nature to utilize its own miraculous brand of magic on the rest.

Ruby was currently unprepared to accept that concept. She thought because she had no visible wounds that she was currently in an injury free state, which was simply not true. Regina could attest to the fact that being healed with magic did not preclude every consequence of being critically injured. Phantom pains lingered in her chest from where she'd been stabbed, and it took a great deal of self-control not to react to her discomfort.

But Ruby was dealing with so much more. For instance, the bones in her fingers had been structurally reassembled and refused, but the process was ongoing rather like the curing of concrete. It would take weeks before she could grip anything tightly without feeling residual discomfort. There were no more stab wounds marring her flesh, but the deep muscle tissue was still knitting itself back together, causing sharp pains and in her abdomen whenever she shifted her hips or torso too quickly. The blackened burns that dotted her flesh like a cheetahs spots had been restored to unblemished skin, but the new patches were overly sensitive and itched almost constantly. And while Victor had provided Ruby with anti-itch cream and powerful pain medication, it would not be enough to dull every single ache or pain all the time.

To make matters worse, Ruby's mind was lagging far behind her body in terms of readjustment, which could pose a significant impediment to her progress. If Ruby were to shut down about what happened, if she refused to deal with it in a productive way, her recovery could drag on indefinitely. Regina did not want that for Ruby. Languishing in denial, she knew, was just as unhealthy as sinking into a dark depression or being held captive by irrational fears. Ruby could not afford to convince herself everything was okay when it wasn't, because the longer she put off dealing with what happened to her, the worse it would be when she did.

It wasn't that Regina was criticizing Ruby, either. First of all, she had no room to criticize anyone with how they dealt with trauma, not when her reaction to Daniel's murder was to begin plotting the destruction of a foolish but otherwise innocent ten year old girl nearly a decade in advance of her acting upon those designs. Mostly, though, Regina knew it was going to take a long time to process the kind of suffering Ruby had endured.

That kind of torture left more than just physical scars, which could (for the most part) be erased. The kinds of marks Ruby was left with were invisible, etched indelibly into her mind in a place that pharmaceuticals could not reach. The two days that had passed by thus far were certainly not enough for her to mentally stabilize from the spiral of hellish torment she'd been cast down – a year wouldn't be enough time, really.

Ruby had only went into detail about her harrowing ordeal once, and that was more than enough for Regina to never want to think about it again, not to mention discussing it openly. Upon discovering Ruby in that God-forsaken basement, Regina didn't have the time or the mental capacity to make sense of the mess she'd seen. The scythe wound and the sheen of blood covering almost every square inch of Ruby's skin had been enough for Regina to know that something ghastly had happened to the woman she had just learned was her True Love and the mother of her unborn children.

But when Ruby started talking in an almost completely detached and emotionless way Regina had never heard before, Regina had almost turned white as a sheet. Ruby's ordeal was far worse than she had imagined. Not only had Ruby been stabbed with the scythe, shot, and whipped, but was also beaten senseless, burned over a quarter of her body, electrocuted to the point she still experienced tremors in her hands and feet, stabbed multiple times and cut dozens more with a knife, and had the tips of all ten of her fingers broken. After hearing about all of that, about how Ruby had been reduced to feeling like an animal as she was subjected to horrors worthy of a Vietnamese prison camp, Regina had to excuse herself to the psyche ward of the hospital where she fireproofed an entire room and then cast fireballs the walls and screamed her head off until she had exhausted herself.

But there was more to that conversation that had Regina gravely concerned. Ruby had admitted during her tale to have been knocked out at least six times in as many hours, one of which was induced by a severe concussion, and adding to that, she had been electrocuted over and over and over at 110 volts. Regina worried that the frequency of those losses of consciousness might have affected Ruby's brain beyond the phantom pain she was sure to feel from wounds no longer there and the nightmares and paranoia that were likely to vex her for months to come. Victor had assured Regina that Ruby's brain scans came back normal, but modern medicine was not infallible, and the human brain was still a mystery that had yet to fully unraveled. One thing was for sure, Regina would be keeping a very close eye on Ruby for the time being.

With all of that standing against her, Ruby had a long road ahead, and while Regina sympathized that Ruby just wanted it all over with, that was not a feasible option. There were no shortcuts in healing the mind. If Ruby wanted to get better, she was going to have to put in the effort, no matter how much she would rather avoid it. If it took therapy, then it took therapy; if Ruby wanted to talk to a friend, then Regina would okay with that, too. She just wanted Ruby to talk to _somebody_ , even if it was somebody other than her.

Henry then went on to say, " _It's 'cause she thinks this is like any other time she's gotten hurt, but it's not. I think she's going to have a hard time with this._ "

"I agree, _"_ Regina replied, and then gripped the wheel even harder at the thought of the emotional hardships Ruby was going to face throughout the coming days and weeks. She didn't like to think about it for very long lest she grow bitter or sullen or melancholy or even worse, violent. And while she wanted to spare Ruby from the impending mental and physical trials, they were a necessary part of the healing process. "She'll get through this, though," she then told Henry, awash with conviction despite her trepidation.

" _I know she will. Ruby is strong, Mom, and she's a fighter. She won't give up until she gets better."_

When Regina's vision suddenly blurred, she had to swipe at her eyes to clear the unbidden moisture that was obscuring her view of the road. Like Henry said, Ruby was strong... _so very_ strong. Stronger than perhaps anyone else Regina knew, herself included.

It seemed sometimes that Ruby was the silent pillar upon which all of Storybrooke rested, bearing the weight of her friends without complaint to ensure their stability. Sure, Emma was the Savior, and there Snow White and Prince Charming were always about showing off their heroic skills and moral superiority; the town also boasted Mulan the sword slinging stoic, Victor Whale the peerless if not misunderstood and misanthropic physician, Belle the brave and intelligent strategist, and Regina herself who was...whatever she was – a reformed former villain who utilized her vast skills to save the town she'd built upon misery. But there was one person all of them shared in common: Ruby. Without even acknowledging it or even, Regina thought, being aware of it, the heroes of Storybrooke gravitated toward Ruby, orbited around her as the earth to the sun, drew on her for strength when they were weak, relied on her for support when they were in need, never doubted her presence when there was a fight to be won, and came to her for advice or to vent or for the unique brand of encouragement only Ruby could provide. Ruby was the unsung hero of Storybrooke, the forgotten soldier without whom everything would have long since collapsed, and she deserved better than she got.

That inner strength that attracted people to Ruby had enabled her to survive the kind of torture that would have destroyed men and women of tested mettle, the kinds which blustered of their ability to resist and to endure anything the enemy could throw at them. Regina knew these kinds of boasts were false, as she had often personally broken such egotistical blowhards who strength lay in their wagging tongues rather than their unquenchable spirits.

The louder people talked about their strength, Regina had found, the weaker they were and the more thoroughly they would break. Typically after she got done with those types of pretenders, they had been reduced to slobbering husks who were more than eager to spill their guts to her on whatever subject she wished to discuss. Many had turned on their own spouses or parents under her diligent attention; some few even gave up their children. None of such examples ever resisted her to the death.

Ruby was made of sterner stuff. She had been tested long before Joshua Woods got hold of her, and proven herself to possess true strength that could not be abolished. And while she was not yet whole, she was also not at all beyond repair. Was she haunted by the memories of what she'd gone through? Yes. Did she still startle whenever a loud noise caught her unawares? Yes. Did she still surreptitiously glance over her shoulder to make sure she was not being haunted by the malevolent ghost of Joshua Woods? Yes. Ruby had been bent, her vitality perilously strained; she had partially fragmented and developed cracks in her armor, but she was not broken.

Having been changed by her hellish experience, Ruby she was not unrecognizable to those who loved her. She was still alive, still Ruby in the essential things that made her so incredibly unique and special. She was still able to smile through her tears and laugh and love despite her sorrow in that all-or-nothing, come-hell-or-high-water way only she could. Ruby was still the solid foundation upon which Regina desired to build the rest of her life, and whatever she had to do to keep it that way, she would; she would not allow Ruby to face her PTSD alone when she had the firsthand experience of attempting to climb that impassible incline and knew what it could do to a person.

Sniffling slightly, she said, giving words to how she felt. "I have to believe that, Henry, or else I'll go crazy. I can't watch her suffer like I did."

" _But, Mom, there is a key difference between you and Ruby._ " Regina almost asked what that difference was, but Henry began to elaborate on his point before she could even make a sound. " _Back then, you were alone, and somewhat by choice."_

The first part of the statement was obvious, as it had been along her train of thought already. But she very much wanted to refute the latter part until she realized she could not, and that there was no leg for her to stand on as it were.

It was certainly true that Regina had been frequently left to her own devices once she married Leopold, and was deliberately isolated at times from the true family unit of Snow and her father. But it was equally accurate that she had made no efforts of her own to bridge those gaps, nor had she wanted to, and that any attempts at consolation from the two people she had most hated in the world would have been instantly rebuffed or deftly deflected.

Back then, the loneliness was her shield from madness, and the pain of her torments made for better company than Snow or Leopold. Back then, she was willing to let Leopold have use of her body for a night so that he would forget about her for another week, and she willing to tolerate Snow's company on a ride so that the insipid girl would be satisfied for a while that her new Mommy really did love her and thereafter leave her alone for a while. Regina had welcomed the loneliness in those dark days, for it gave her space to stew in her misery, which in turn fueled her thoughts of vengeance, which ultimately provided her with a reason to live. Otherwise, she really would have thrown herself off that balcony like Tink thought she had rather than slipped.

" _I hurts me to think that you had to go through all of that without anyone to talk to or to support you,_ " Henry then said. _"I can't tell you how much I wish I could change things for you._ "

"So do I, Henry. But sadly you can't." Regina bit her lip to keep from letting out a noise that would reveal just how emotional this conversation was getting for her. She didn't want Henry to feel guilty for having brought it about. It hadn't been his intention to evoke memories that she would rather forget.

" _No, I can't,_ " he agreed, and then proceeded to show her just how wise he had grown in his 17 short years of life _. "But you know what? There is something you_ can _do that just might cover up those bad memories with ones that are better, and I'll help you do it. We will get Ruby through this together by giving her what you didn't get. We'll be there for her every day. We will love her and support her, and when we need to, we will distract her with games and hugs and movies with cartons of ice cream for all. And who knows, maybe doing that for her will help all of us_ _heal._ "

Regina smiled proudly as she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "When did you get so smart? How is it possible that I missed you transitioning from the precious little boy who used to ask me a million questions to a young man possessing a fount of timely edification?"

" _C'est la vie. And time is just funny that way, like Hawthorne wrote:_ ' _Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind._ "

"That it does." Pausing, she stopped at an intersection a few minutes away from Mifflin Street. Taking the opportunity, she took a steadying breath. "I don't tell you this nearly enough, but I am so proud of you, Henry – not only of who you are, but of the remarkable man you're becoming. Please, don't ever change."

Regina heard him chuckle. " _I don't plan to. For better or worse, I'm me, and I'm finally okay with that. And thanks, Mom. I always know you're proud of me, but it's still nice to hear._ " Regina beamed. She had made her son feel good about himself, and that was an accomplishment worthy of celebrating. " _Anyway_ ," he then said, " _I just wanted to check in, but since you're headed this way, I'll see you when you get back. Drive safe._ "

"I will, sweetheart. See you then." When Regina heard Henry disconnect the call, she wedged her phone between her legs and then accelerated out of the empty intersection.

Moments later, she saw Ruby twitch out of the corner of her eye, and glanced over just in time to see her sleeping partner readjust herself so that her head was now tilted in the opposite direction. Ruby gave a faint whine as she moved, not in pain, but in a manner similar to that of a child who saw something they wanted and were left disappointed being unable to persuade their parents to buy it for them.

Amused by Ruby's little display, Regina turned her eyes back to the road. The rest of the drive was accomplished in under two minutes, and upon turning onto Mifflin Street, she at last was greeted by the welcome sight of home.

Henry, she noticed, was already on the front porch, sitting and wringing his hands impatiently as he waited. She was not even a little surprised at his eagerness. He had called her at least five times earlier in the day asking after Ruby, and Regina had heard the excitement in his voice that his frequent accomplice in mischief was soon to come home.

After parking her beloved Mercedes, Regina undid her seat belt and reached out a hand to smooth down Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby? Wake up, sweetheart. We're home." When Ruby's eyes peeled open, she grunted in acknowledgment. Regina grinned at the unusually grumpy reaction.

Normally when Ruby woke up, she did so with a smile. Were it not for the fact that those morning smiles made getting out of bed each morning so much more enjoyable for Regina, her partner's ability to greet each day with such enthusiasm would have been annoying. As it was, Ruby's cheeriness was one of her more endearing traits. But there was no cheeriness at all in her current poked-bear expression.

After taking a deep breath and stretching back against the seat, Ruby scrubbed roughly at her eyes. "I fell asleep. Dammit." She then let out an exasperated groan. "I can't even make a trip to the car without getting totally pooped. I guess all of that energy back at the hospital was just raw nerves or adrenaline or something that's all tapped out now. Some specimen of an alpha wolf I am. I'm weak like an omega."

"I told you that you would need to take it easy," Regina gently reminded, internally amused by Ruby's surliness. "And you are not weak, my dear, just temporarily diminished. After what happened to you, you can't expect to bounce back in a day or two. It's going to take time."

"Yeah, yeah. Doesn't mean I have to like it though," Ruby replied around a noisy yawn, which she protested at the end with a quick shaking of her head. Widening her eyes as if to force herself more awake, she was hit by another yawn, this one substantial enough to bring tears to her eyes. "Gah! I feel almost as spent as when I go out running for an entire night during Wolf's Time without a break. I just want to curl up and sleep for days, but I'm so sick of sleeping. Ugh! I _hate_ this!"

Regina gave Ruby a sympathetic smile and then reached over to pat Ruby's leg. She let her hand linger there. As she rubbed a soothing pattern on her girlfriend's denim clad thigh, she said, "Don't get yourself so worked up. You heard Victor: while you feel better than you did, you are still technically in recovery, so you're going to get tired easily. I know it's frustrating for you, but just try to be patient with yourself. I don't want you to make things worse by pushing before you're ready."

And it really was going to be difficult for Ruby to modulate herself. There were times that Ruby could be as hyperactive as a Ritalin riddled child, particularly when the moon was full and her wolf hormones were pumping through her body. Having to ride the brakes over the next few days was going to test Ruby's ability to control herself for her own good. And as animated as Ruby normally was, she was bound to lose her temper eventually, which would likely result in some pretty heated rows between them.

It wasn't just Ruby who needed to exercise restraint, though. Regina was also going to require all the reserves of patience she could muster. She especially needed to learn how to better shrug off snide comments, since one bad reaction could cause Ruby to withdraw into herself. There was a lot of hurt and anger and grief inside of Ruby that needed to be discharged if she was to get better, and since Regina had experience with concealing such feelings and knew they only exacerbated things, Ruby was going to have to exorcise them before they took control of her and set her recovery back significantly.

A strong ego was something Regina prided herself in, but she knew it was going to take a severe beating over the next few weeks and months. She was used to the unwashed masses judging her, cursing at her and screaming out their hatred of her, but the people she loved presented a real threat to her self-esteem. Where her heart was invested, she was vulnerable to hurtful words.

Back when the Curse first broke, Henry had taught her that valuable lesson. His accusations and suspicions, while justified and mean-spirited in equal measure, had cut her to the quick more times than she could count, leaving her breathless and with wounds that she had to retreat into the sanctuary of her home to lick. Much like her son, Ruby possessed that same capability, and even though Regina was likely to be offended and hurt by Ruby in ways she was not prepared for, she owed Ruby her best efforts to bear the brunt of whatever frustrations were unleashed upon her.

" _Love_ ," a famous text declared, " _bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things_." That kind of love was hard to come by, but it was brand that Ruby specialized in. It was high time, then, Regina thought, to give some of that back, to do some bearing and believing and hoping and enduring for Ruby's sake.

"I'll try," said Ruby as she gave a tentative smile, breaking Regina's train of thought. Behind the hesitance, there was a sincerity in those green eyes that backed up her promise and which reassured Regina enough to forget about her apprehension concerning what was to come.

As she reached to unfasten Ruby's seat belt, the attempt was rebuffed by swatting hands and a glare that was far more amusing than intimidating. She raised her hands to yield the pedestrian task to Ruby, who made quick work of the latch and then shrugged out of the safety restraints. Though she could have been, Regina was not offended in the slightest at her gesture being refused; after two days of being poked and prodded at and endlessly examined by Victor and his hive of busy bee nurses, she knew Ruby was simply tired of being pawed at.

"Since you seem to have things well in hand there, what do you say we head on inside?" Regina posed. "There's a particular young man I know who has been asking after you today, and I think he'd like to welcome you home properly." With a tender smile, she then indicated with her head toward the walkway leading up to the porch, where Henry was now standing halfway between the house and the driveway. Ruby's eyes lit up at the sight of him.

Without waiting, Ruby opened the door and carefully maneuvered herself out of the vehicle. Once Ruby was upright, Regina got out as well, and by the time she had fetched her wallet out of the center console, and then locked and closed her door, Ruby was walking down the path toward Henry. With her head slightly bowed, she appeared as if she was waiting for Henry to berate her for the foolhardy actions which precipitated her being abducted, tortured, and killed before being brought back to life in a way she would always remain ignorant of if Regina had any say.

Several times since Ruby first woke up, she had shifted conversation back to the reason she was currently alive. Each time Regina side-stepped her questions or delicately worked the subject back to something more comfortable. Thankfully Ruby had yet to confront her about the deflections, and that gave Regina time to come up with a reasonable explanation that did not include telling Ruby the truth.

Regina was not ashamed of what she had done to save Ruby's life, rather quite the contrary. She was proud that her love for Ruby was strong enough to keep both of them alive. It was indisputable proof that her mother had been wrong all along. Love was not weakness. How could something that was inherently weak possess enough power to sustain to living human beings with half a heart each? If that was weakness, then Webster's got it all wrong and the word needed a new definition.

Yet Regina remained determined that Ruby should never be made aware that the magical heart she was born with was now dust and that half of Regina's heart was living on inside her. The reason for that decision was simple. If Ruby ever learned the truth, it would not change who she was, nor would it change the way she loved Regina, but it _would_ change the way she acted.

Regina was not blind, nor was she a fool. She knew Ruby loved being Emma's deputy, had taken to the job like a fish to water, and that Emma and David wanted to extend Ruby an offer to make the position permanent. A part of Regina was vehemently opposed to the idea, but the part of her that loved Ruby knew she had to let Ruby make her own decisions. It was the least she could do since Ruby had not once asked Regina to change, or to stop putting her life on the line whenever there was a crisis in town. Ruby did not expect Regina to stop practicing dark magic (which was inherently dangerous) or even worse, give up magic altogether as some once had. It would therefore make Regina an unbearable hypocrite to deny Ruby a profession that, while fraught with risks, gave her immense satisfaction and a feeling of purpose she had lacked professionally.

But if Ruby were to discover that half of Regina's heart was beating inside her chest and then be made aware of the ramifications of that reality, she would make drastic changes in her life. And why would she do that? It was simple. When two people share one heart, their lives are inextricably and forever linked, something that Regina had to explain to Snow and Charming once she got her memories back after returning from the Enchanted Forest post-Pan Curse.

"Listen to me," she'd said after sitting them both down, "I know you both believe in the power of _True Love_ to protect you, but you must be careful from here on out."

"Why should we?" asked Charming, elbows on his knees and a scowl on his face. Snow had nodded along, sharing his skepticism. "So we share a heart now. Big deal. Nothing has changed for us. We've always shared a heart, just never quite so literally."

Regina had almost growled at their obtusity. "You're wrong. Everything has changed!"

"But how?" Snow had asked.

Regina sighed. "Let me spell it out for you both. If, God forbid, you," she pointed to Charming, "were to be killed on the job, Snow would die instantly as well." Regina had seen both blanch, and was satisfied that they seemed to be paying attention after that. "That heart beating in your chest right now is _not_ yours. No matter how real and familiar it feels, it is _hers_. Because it is magical, distance is not required for it remain alive separated from its other half, and magically speaking, the halves are still whole. But should one perish, the other will as well. Do you see now how important it is that you not risk yourselves needlessly?"

Both nodded dumbly, so Regina let it alone. For a while, Charming and Snow had heeded the warnings to her immense relief, but not long after they were back playing the hero again, so Regina wrote off responsibility for what happened to them. If they both died, they both died. She had done her part to caution and inform them. There was nothing more she could do.

But now the same could be said for herself and Ruby, and Regina knew that Ruby would not take things so lightly as the Charmings had. The knowledge of their shared fates would change everything for Ruby, for she would no longer feel comfortable doing her job knowing it put Regina's life at risk alongside her own. She would quit immediately and return to working at the diner, sequestering herself from danger, and would never feel free to live the way she wanted to again. Thus deprived of the wild but beautiful liberty that defined her, Ruby would shrink and wither away into a shell of her former self. And that would be perhaps the greatest tragedy of all.

Regina had not given half her heart away for her selfless act to be the impetus of Ruby being diminished. She wouldn't have it. What had happened would have to forever remain a secret, and to that end, Regina had sworn Emma, Charming, and Snow to secrecy on pain of death.

Shaking her head of such thoughts, Regina followed after Ruby, and by the time she had almost caught up Ruby was already halfway up the walkway. A split second later, Ruby was assailed by 150 lbs of teenage boy launching himself at her. With an audible 'oomph' Ruby was gathered up into a crushing hug that had her groaning in protest and Henry jumping back with profuse apologies.

"It's okay," she reassured him. "I'm alright. You didn't hurt me, just squeezed the air out of me. Your getting strong there, dude."

"Yeah," he blushed, chuckling in an 'aww shucks' manner. "I blame wrestling for that. I'm sorry anyway."

To improve his college application, Henry had decided to take up a sport. At first he had considered soccer or basketball, but he was not naturally graceful. One night in the process of making his decision he had caught Ruby watching one of those horrid Mixed Martial Arts programs and to Regina's chagrin it had caught his attention as well. Knowing the choice he was making, Ruby had suggested taking up wrestling, as it was as close to that as he could get in high school, and had further insisted that she could help him develop his strength and technique since she was not only a fight enthusiast but used to instruct hand to hand combat to Snow and Charmings newly recruited guards. Thus, Henry had made his decision, and while Regina didn't really like her son being involved in something so visceral and violent, she had to admit he was not bad at it.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Henry's face tightened. "You scared me, Ruby. Really bad." Giving a sigh, he ducked his head for a moment, and when he raised it back up, his eyes were shimmering. "When Mom told me what happened, I didn't take it well."

It was true, and Regina didn't like to recall that particular conversation. When Henry arrived at the hospital about twenty minutes after they'd brought Ruby in, she took him into the same waiting room she had previously trashed in a tirade of epic proportions. Once they were seated, she went on to fill Henry in on the details of Ruby's ordeal – or at least those she was comfortable sharing. But rather than looking stricken or horrified as she'd expected, he stood abruptly as if struck by lightning and with a string of colorful curses, then put his fist through the drywall of the nearest interior wall.

That outburst was the first time Regina had ever heard her son use the kind of language that was more typical of Emma or Ruby than the couth verbalist she had raised him to be. Regina had always taught Henry that prolific profanity was a tool for the weak minded; that words were powerful and should be respected and used thoughtfully and deliberately, not cast about haphazardly by an untamed tongue. Profanity had its place, and she had tried to teach that to Henry as he grew into manhood, but she did not wanting him learning it was a crutch to fall back on when words failed.

The only reason she refrained from admonishing him was because he was reacting to news that made him both afraid and angry. The potent mixture of those extremely powerful emotions, when added to the rampaging hormones of a teenage boy, made for a combustible recipe.

Thus she permitted the outburst without commenting on it, especially since she'd understood why he felt the way he did. Henry's anger was easy to decipher, since Regina somewhat shared it. Ruby had made a choice of her own free will that landed her in a situation she almost did not make it out of. And as for his fear, he admitted during the course of their conversation that it was the first time he'd been confronted by the possibility that Ruby could die, that he had almost lost her forever.

There was a good reason for that. For the most part, Ruby liked to maintain an aura of invincibility. The superior wolf genetics which made her stronger in body than any ordinary human could ever hope to achieve also gave her a boosted resistance to disease and infection. Ruby got sick, but it was rare, and when it happened it was quick and violent and never prolonged in the way normal humans experienced illness. And while she could be injured, she recovered with such rapidity that Regina found herself fascinated by werewolf physiology and doing extracurricular research.

As an example of this supernatural healing factor, once while Ruby and Henry were roughhousing in the backyard (they'd been playing that atrocious and brutal sport they loved to watch together called football, and not the one involving the actual use of feet), Henry had tackled Ruby so hard that her head snapped back and collided forcefully with the cold hardened earth. She'd been unconscious for over 5 minutes, but with the hour, was back outside throwing the football around suffering only from a minor headache that she refused to let hamper her fun.

Another time, Ruby was showing Henry the best method to climb trees, quite against Regina's advice. Ruby's convoluted excuse elicited an eye roll, but it was just convincing enough that Regina had allowed it (and the excuse was that someday, some mythical beast may arrive in town that required hiding from, and should no one be around to aid him, it would be helpful for Henry to know how to climb beyond reach quickly and efficiently). After Ruby had boosted herself nearly thirty feet up into a frightfully tall pine at the edges of Regina's property, a rogue swallow fluttered past her head and startled her. When she jerked away, she lost her footing and tumbled all the way down, impacting several branches on the way. That time Ruby was unconscious for over an hour, as well as being left with a broken wrist, clavicle, humerus, and a fractured ankle and tibia. She was confined to bed for three days and in a wheel chair for two more after that. But just a week and change later she was out of her cast and back in the trees, though extra careful of what she thereafter dubbed: 'demon spawn birds from the inner circles of hell.'

Ruby was as close to a superwoman as Storybrooke had to offer. But Joshua Woods had reminded everyone who held her in high esteem that she was not quite as invincible as she had once appeared to be. Ruby was not, in fact, a superwoman made of steel, but a person of flesh and blood: enhanced but not impervious, strong but not Herculean, and fleet of foot but not faster than a speeding bullet.

"Hey," Ruby then said, stepping back up unobtrusively into Henry's personal space. "I'm okay. I may have got knocked down for a bit, but you know what? Thanks to your Mom, I got back up. I'm still here, still kickin'. It's gonna take a lot more than this to take me out. Okay?"

A tear slid past the threshold of Henry's eyelids as he nodded. "Okay."

Reaching out her hand, Ruby smoothed it over Henry's slightly stubbled cheek. "It's so good to see you, punk," she then murmured just loud enough for Regina to hear.

At that, Henry's sorrow had departed, and he grinned crookedly. "Welcome home, furball."

As if being reunited for the first time in ages, they melted into one other, and Regina just stood back, hands clasped at her waist and smiling like a dope as she observed the heartwarming sight.

Moments later, thought, Ruby pulled back slightly and held out her arm in Regina's direction. "C'mon," she called out with a sideways grin very similar to Henry's. "We need to get some group hug action going on here!"

Regina sensed without looking that her neighbors were peering out of their windows in curiosity, but as happy as she was at that moment, she hadn't given them a second thought. With a few short strides, she stepped into the welcoming embraces of her girlfriend and her son, the two people who comprised that axis her world spun upon. With their arms around one another and their heads resting together, they stood for several minutes and basked in the warmth of their little family unit – 3 people who would soon become 5, a little unconventional, but oh so very perfect.

They probably would have stayed like that for much longer were it not for the very audible grumbling of Ruby's stomach.

"Oops, sorry," she blushed even as she chuckled in amusement at herself while both Regina and Henry joined in.

When the mirth had died down, Regina ushered them all inside because she knew Ruby had to be starving. Her stir crazy girlfriend had been so anxious to get out of the hospital that she had worked her nerves to the point she was prevented from eating much more all day besides an apple Regina had brought from her tree. With only that meager but scrumptious meal to sustain her, Ruby's preternatural appetite was obviously stretched to its limits.

Upon stepping inside, Ruby took a moment to breathe in the air of home, but soon after that, her next order of business was to shower, complaining ruefully that she felt like a mangy mutt. Regina tried not to smirk at the self-effacing dig, but was unsuccessful and received a gentle slap on her arm.

"Home two minutes and already abusing me," she protested, frowning for show. "Two days I sat and slept in those uncomfortable chairs just to be close to you, and this is the thanks I get? Honestly, Ruby, I'm disappointed."

"Oh, God," Ruby scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You are such a drama queen. I think you should go back out to the car, 'cause you left your cross in the trunk."

At that, Henry lost it, and both he and Ruby dissolved into a fit of giggles. Regina hadn't the heart to continue the charade, so she smirked and pushed Ruby toward the stairs.

"Go on, before I decide your sarcasm is a symptom of you being unwell and confine you to bed for another two days."

Ruby gasped, looking horrified. "You wouldn't dare."

Regina raised one ebony brow. "Oh, but wouldn't I?" She then winked at Ruby who stuck out her tongue.

Ruby started moving up the stairs. "Fine," she said, "I'm going. Henry," she called out halfway up, "make your Mom behave. She's being a meanie."

"Yes, and you're being a child," Regina countered.

"Can't argue there," agreed Henry.

Stopping at the top of the stairs, Ruby leaned over the bannister and glared playfully. "Hey! You're supposed to be on my side. I'm the injured party here. How about some much deserved sympathy, huh?"

"Sorry, Rubes," Henry shrugged. "Mom is right, but you know I love you anyway."

After straightening up, Ruby quirked up the corner of her lips. "You'd better! Who is the fun chick who got you GTA VI?"

Regina scowled. She hated that vulgar game, but Ruby and Henry played it for hours, cackling like maniacs as they laid waste to the fictional city depicted therein.

"You did," Henry conceded.

"Damn straight," crowed Ruby as she turned to disappear down the hallway, calling out behind her, "and you'd best not forget it!"

While Ruby showered, Regina spoke to Henry about his schoolwork and then settled down to read the newspaper while he went into the kitchen for a glass of water. When Regina heard Ruby making her way back downstairs half an hour later, she left the comforting confines of her sofa and ventured into the foyer.

Appearing much more relaxed in a pair of black jogging pants and a casual gray, v-necked shirt that left a sliver of her taut tummy exposed, Ruby was descending the stairs when Regina turned the corner. Stopping in her tracks, all she could do was stare. The outfit was a simple one most would not give a second glance, but Regina was not most people, and she thought Ruby looked incredibly becoming. To Regina, that Ruby was alive and back home, and that they were together was enough. At that moment rags would have sufficed to make Ruby appear more exquisite than the most resplendent Princess any world could offer.

"Hey, you," Ruby said, eyes glowing with happiness. Stepping off the bottom stair she'd been lingering on the past few seconds, she moved into up close and wrapped Regina up in a hug and then gave a breathy sigh as she ducked her head onto Regina's shoulder.

"Hi," Regina returned the greeting as she slid her arms low around Ruby's torso, letting her hands rest together against the small of Ruby's back. Underneath the thin material of the shirt she could feel the jagged ridges of a scar from where Ruby had been whipped. Those were the only scars that refused to go away aside from the crescent shaped ridge above Ruby's heart left behind by the scythe. Her eyes slid shut against the harrowing memories that were rising to the surface.

Regina had attempted every trick in the book she knew to rid her partner of the ugly reminders of being brutally tortured and murdered she bore on her back. But thus far her efforts had failed to yield positive results. Strangely enough, her magic had erased the whip scarring on the backs of Ruby's thighs and rear, but could not take away the silvery welts that lined Ruby's back from shoulder to waist. And though Ruby professed faith that Regina would find a way to fix them, Regina was not so sure.

She had a few options left at her disposal, including one which was of the extremely distasteful variety (namely consulting the pernicious blue pixie everyone believed to be a paragon of virtue; Regina knew different, knew that Blue was just as devious and manipulative as any villain she had sneered down her snotty nose at; the only difference was that Blue hid her dubious motivations behind sagely wisdom and disarming smiles and copious amounts of fairy cocaine), so she had not yet conceded hope, but it was growing increasingly dim. Her failure to expunge Ruby of her scarring was gnawing on her conscience and refused to let up.

"I love you," Ruby then said as if sensing Regina's discomfort. She snuggled her head deeper into the crook of Regina's neck. The gentle veracity of her heartfelt declaration along with the assuring intimacy of her physical need for closeness counteracted those horrific images and snuffed out their accompanying guilt, submerging them beneath a blanket of assurance.

"I love you, too," Regina replied, choked up with emotion. She lifted her head just long enough to place a kiss upon Ruby's crown and then nuzzled the top of Ruby's head with her cheek. She then drew them even closer together. Now flush, Regina swore she could feel the steady beating of Ruby's heart against her breast.

She was reminded once again that it wasn't really Ruby's heart, but the other half of her own. It was a surreal experience for Regina to feel her own heart beating in two different bodies. If her mother were alive, she would have mocked Regina to scorn at what she'd done. Cora had thought any emotion other avarice for power to be foolish and wasteful, and had thus lived a miserable and lonely life. In the end, Cora died wishing she had kept her heart, proclaiming with her dying breath that Regina would have been enough. It was too little too late.

While it certainly helped Regina to know her mother really did love her, she had always considered dying confessions to be empty and desperate and cowardly, lacking the backing of actions to solidify their credibility and the consequence of time for proper recompense to be made. She believed that apologies were not enough, and actions without remorse were empty. True redemption required both, and that was what she was aiming for.

After all, a mass murderer could decry their misdeeds upon their deathbed and truly mean it, but where was the justice for the dead and their families in that? The short answer was there was none. The grave was the great equalizer, making sinners and saints alike, and rendering victim and victimizer into the same unenviable state. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. All were the same in the end. The only was to truly make amends then was to do so during one's life.

This belief was part of the reason why Regina worked so hard to atone for her sins while she could, and although she was aware she would never make up for the despicable and heinous crimes she had committed, she was at least willing to confess her culpability and put forth the effort. If people never forgave her, never accepted her penance, that was their prerogative and they had _every_ right to it. But even so, whatever people thought of her, Regina was determined to live her life in a way that left nothing to regret at the end. And had Ruby died that day, had Regina lacked the courage to make the necessary sacrifice, in the end she would have looked back on that moment with unassuaged shame and self-loathing. She would have went to the grave an abject failure.

To her, Ruby was worth anything of herself – _anything_ at all – that she had to give, and it was for that reason Regina had gone been prepared to lay down her life for Ruby if necessary. That was something that would never change, and the fact that her heart was literally beating inside Ruby's chest only made that statement more immutable.

Wanting to enjoy the tender moment, Regina contented herself with the sensation of Ruby's body against hers, and with the delicate cherry scent of her shampoo and the warm puffs of air against her skin. Every sense, every thought, every breath was filled with Ruby, and Regina wished that she could condense her life to the way she felt right at that moment. It was as close to heaven as she had ever been.

They must have stood like that for at least five minutes, all wrapped up in one another without another care in the world, before the pronounced clearing of a throat grabbed both of their attention. They turned to find Henry standing in the hallway, smirking with his arms crossed.

"While I think you guys are totally sweet, I'm almost as hungry as Ruby is. Can we eat now?"

As if awakened by the mention of food, Ruby's stomach growled again. Loudly. Regina chuckled at the sound while Ruby blushed.

"Sorry." She bit her lip adorably. "I'm kinda starving. So I'm with the kiddo. Care to whip us up something fast and tasty?"

Henry gave his mother a goofy grin when Ruby broke out the puppy dog eyes. Regina rolled her. The begging was completely unnecessary as she was already going to say yes anyway.

"It's always about the next meal for you two," she playfully groused. "I really ought to invest in Hannaford, or perhaps open a franchise here in Storybrooke. The discounts alone would save me a fortune with the way you two eat."

"We can't help our awesome metabolism, Regina. Don't be a hater," Ruby countered, making sure to emphasize her point by walking over to Henry and slinging her arm around him. He repeated the gesture in a show of solidarity.

Regina scoffed as she brushed past them on her way to the kitchen. Ruby and Henry followed behind. "That's me. The 'hater'. I live to loathe the hypermetabolic."

"You also live to be a smart ass," was Ruby's cheeky retort.

"So true," Henry agreed conspiratorially, having now turned the tables on his earlier support of his mother.

Regina pulled up short when she reached the kitchen door, and rounded on them with a pointed glare. "Well, with attitude perhaps I should reconsider my generosity." Upon being given dual cries of "You wouldn't!" and "Mom, please!", she smirked. "I would, and don't bother acting put out. I'm the one being bullied here, and I didn't hear anything remotely resembling an apology." When she leveled Ruby with a look that said 'go ahead and test me,' Ruby immediately became repentant.

"I'm sorry, baby," she apologized, and was joined by Henry's own offering of, "yeah...I'm sorry, too."

Heaving a forbearing sigh, Regina gestured toward the kitchen. "I suppose that was satisfactory considering my forgiving mood. Very well. I accept your apologies. Now go sit before I change my mind."

Both of them slunk in to the kitchen, suitably chastised and with a concerted, "Yes, ma'am." It was only after they passed from sight that Regina allowed herself to grin. She still had it.

Once Ruby and Henry were seated around the breakfast table, Regina went about whipping up some turkey sandwiches for them all, since Ruby in particular loved them. As she made the sandwiches, she had to keep her back turned to block her girlfriend and son from seeing a prickling of uninvited tear tears. She hadn't wanted to break the atmosphere of contentment, but also hadn't known quite how to explain that she was only crying because she so happy to be making Ruby another turkey sandwich. The emotions seemed absurd in a way, but she reckoned that such a familiar act had, for her, solidified the fact that her family was whole when the opposite could have very easily been true.

After sharing a lovely lunch full of laughter and smiles, they decided at Ruby's suggestion to play some card games. Even though Regina was not normally one for such activities (chess or a good book were more her speed), there had been no question in her mind as to whether or not she would indulge her recovering girlfriend. Even if Ruby hadn't resorted to the underhanded tactic of her irresistible puppy dog eyes, that was one time Regina was happy to cave.

Of course, as amenable as she had been feeling since Ruby was nearly taken from her, Regina was probably not going to be refusing her partner very much for the foreseeable future. Hell, if Ruby had asked her to dance on the tablet, Regina was pretty sure she would have seriously considered it at the least, if not done so outright. So she had been more than willing to comply with such a simple request.

They wound up playing cards for over an hour, taking turns with Rummy, Uno, and even Slapjack. As much as they were enjoying themselves, the games probably would have lasted longer except that Henry had needed to study for an important test the next day. After excusing himself upstairs, Regina and Ruby retired to the living where they talked for a while and basked in their togetherness while they waited for members of the extended family to begin dropping by in turn.

Had it just been her they were visiting, she wouldn't have objected to people dropping by as they wished, as she considered herself to be healed up enough to deal with it, but Ruby was still reeling. Being the overbearing mother hen that she was, Regina had therefore refused to allow anyone to visit without proper scheduling for at least Ruby's first 2 days back home.

As expected, there was some backlash to her so-called 'dictatorship' over access to both herself and Ruby, in particular from Snow, who had objected vehemently. But Ruby herself had quieted all such displeasure, telling everyone who disagreed that she had already conceded to Regina's suggestion and had furthermore insisted that she trusted her girlfriend absolutely to make the right decision for them both.

After how out of control Regina had felt the past few days, she had needed the next few days to be structured for both of their sakes. Ruby knew that implicitly, and though it took everyone else a little longer to catch up, they eventually accepted her visitation plan. Since then, everyone had patiently obliged her, having understood that she only wanted what was best for her family, but also that that there would be no budging her once she made up her mind. It was a good thing, too, because the last thing they wanted to do after what she and Ruby had been through was to piss her off.

As would be obvious, Granny was the first visitor to come by and if it were anyone else, Regina would have resented the intrusion into her time with her family, even though it was expected. But she had been genuinely happy to see Granny, because truth be told, the elder Lucas had been her rock during the 51 hours Ruby languished in a coma.

Regina had grown rather close to Ruby's oft-ornery grandmother over the years so that the love and respect she held for Granny was the same as if the spunky silver-haired woman was her own grandmother. It felt strange at first because Regina had never had that kind of elder authority figure in her life before. She had never really known her own grandparents beyond what few stories her father told her of his parents.

By the time she was old enough to start remembering things, her father had been ostracized from his family; Regina never discovered the cause of the rift but suspected it was due to her mother's machinations. As for her mother, Cora had unilaterally forbidden Regina from making any inquisition into the specifics of her own family history, which was not surprising since she openly regarded her peasant upbringing as a shameful stain.

With such a glaring void having been present for so long in Regina's background, it had been difficult adjusting to having Granny in her life. It felt really nice, though, once that relationship fell into place. Granny was someone who could check Regina on her crap without being offensive, and who would always tell the truth no matter how bad it was or how much Regina didn't want to hear. That kind of unwavering presence was invaluable to a person like a Regina who needed checks and balances to remain on the correct course.

"Where are you, girl?" Granny's voice boomed through the house as she entered the front door.

Regina had left it unlocked knowing both she and Ruby were to receive a hand full of well-wishers throughout the day. Not that Granny needed the door unlocked. Regina had long since given Ruby's only living family member a key and an open invitation to visit at any time so long as it was at a reasonable hour.

"In here, Granny," Ruby called from where she was reclining against Regina on the couch.

Regina had piled a few throw pillows into the corner of the couch and then nestled herself into the far corner so that she faced the entryway. Ruby joined her immediately, stretching out longways so that her upper torso was in Regina's lap and the side of her head was resting against Regina's chest with the back of it supported by the pillows. It wasn't the most comfortable position to be in, but Ruby was close and solid in her arms, and that far outweighed any slight discomfort.

When Granny stepped into the living room, Regina was absently stroking her fingers through Ruby's hair – a favorite pastime. She looked up to see the elder Lucas smirking almost deviously.

"If you go real fast, her leg might start twitching."

"You suck, Granny," Ruby groused. Her eyes had been half closed but sprung open upon hearing Granny's drily delivered wisecrack. "Seriously? Those are the first words you say to me today?" Ruby's subsequent pout was both pronounced and totally captivating.

Regina chuckled in spite of disapproving glare from her lounging partner. "I happen to think it's adorable when she does that, though it mainly only happens when I rub her belly."

"I take that back," Ruby then said, her pout exaggerating even more. "You both suck."

Instead of answering, Granny huffed and then shuffled over to the couch, where she made herself at home near the end where Ruby's feet were resting. Gesturing at Ruby's legs, Granny seated herself when a tart looking Ruby lifted them so that she could slide in. As payback for the comment, Ruby plopped her feet down in her grandmother's lap.

Unperturbed, Granny swatted the soles of Ruby's feet affectionately and then gave her granddaughter a saucy grin. "Sadly, my sucking days are long over. But don't you worry, girl, I have fond memories to warm my nights."

At the unexpectedly lewd joke, Regina howled with laughter. Ruby, on the other hand, was not amused.

" _Jesus Christ!_ " she choked out, wincing visibly. "Thanks for that, Granny. Really. I'm just going to have to scour my brain with bleach now."

Granny's eyes twinkled as she spared a glance at Regina, who was wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. I'm not a nun, just old. Your mother had to get here somehow, didn't she? Ain't like she got dropped on my porch or was delivered by a stork. I worked hard to bring her into this world – twice as a matter of fact."

At that, Regina lost it again, her peals of jovial laughter filling room so that Granny eventually joined in. It was nice hearing the woman laugh after everything, Regina thought. Granny was not a woman prone to laughter, but when she did it was big bellied and raucous and wonderful.

Ruby sighed, now exasperated, and covered her eyes with the back of her hand. "I take that back. Bleach is not enough for these kinds of mental images. It's going to require something stronger. Battery acid might do the trick."

"Don't be such a prude," Granny retorted, on a roll. "It's not like you two didn't work just as hard to get yourselves tin roof rusted."

Ruby gaped. "Wow, Granny. Just...wow. What's got into you, huh?"

Granny shrugged. "My sense of humor has been revived I suppose. Did me good to see you here at home and looking happy again."

Ruby's entire countenance softened at that. "Aww! Why couldn't you have lead with that? That was so sweet!"

"Don't get carried away now," Granny warned. "I'm happy that you're happy, but I don't do that touchy-feely crap. You know that."

"Sure," Ruby nodded, but then a smile crept onto her lips. "But I don't care, 'cause I do!" With that, she sprang forward out of Regina's lap and smothered her protesting Grandmother with a fierce hug. After placing a wet kiss to Granny's cheek, Ruby was pushed away.

"Stop slobbering all over my cheek, Ruby," she complained.

"She's just glad to see you, Granny," Regina offered in defense of her suddenly exuberant partner.

"There are better ways to show it then that," Granny retorted. "But I guess I can overlook it this time. Just 'cause you're still with us and I'm glad of it. I put way too much time into her to lose her to her own stupidity."

To anyone else, that would have sounded downright offensive, but Regina knew better. It was a close to an admission of affection that Granny was willing to give without sacrificing her pride.

Of course, having been raised by the woman, Ruby could read between the lines with the best of them. Leaning forward from where she now sat cross-legged in between Regina and Granny, Ruby's eyes shone as she took her grandmother's aged hand. "I love you, too, you know."

"I know you do, pup," winked Granny, who then changed gears abruptly. "Speaking of pups, I hear you two are in for a real treat. Two at once? Gonna be fun times around here soon enough."

"We are both happy about that development, indeed," Regina replied, rubbing a hand down her stomach reflexively. "I always wanted to experience pregnancy. When I was younger and Daniel was still alive I used to dream about being large with our child, going through the pains of labor and the joys of motherhood."

Granny hummed. "It's going to be a little different than you might have imagined."

"What do you mean by that?" Ruby asked, head tilted in confusion.

Granny shifted a bit to the side to better face Regina and Ruby. "It's nothing bad, just that pregnancy is different where our kind are involved."

"But I'm not a werewolf," Regina countered.

"Ah," Granny drawled, "but the baby is. He or she is going to give you a glimpse of what it's like for us around the week of the full moon."

"How so?"

Granny smirked. "For one, you're going to feel like you're about to climb the walls with energy that you can't seem to burn off. After the moon wanes, you'll crash and spend days in bed."

Regina sighed and pinched her nose. "So not only will I have to endure morning sickness and ludicrous cravings, but I'm going to become a lunatic once a month? Joy."

"I wouldn't complain if I were you," said Granny, not unkindly. "Ruby's gonna have it worse."

Ruby's brows arched. "I am?"

Granny nodded curtly. "You are. As I said, Regina will get a taste of what it's like to be us, but you're gonna get hit with both barrels, girl. After the first few months, you'll have to stop with the changes outside of Wolf's Time. It's too dangerous for the baby to use up that much energy. And once you're really showing those last couple of months, you won't be able to change at all. It's gonna make you pretty crazy being unable to burn off your excess energy. I suggest you both get ready for it by finding an outlet for you."

"What do you suggest?" Regina asked, panicking internally but knowing that would do neither her nor Ruby any good. Information was key and Granny was a reliable source. The woman had, after all, birthed a werewolf in Anita. No one else in Storybrooke had her experience.

"There's all kinda things you can do," Granny replied. "I chopped a lot of wood while I could, and ran a lot – something I know Ruby enjoys. When none of that was feasible, I took up darning. Any kind of exercise or distraction will help. Just try not to fight what your body is telling you to do or to eat, as that will only make things worse. If you feel sleepy, sleep; if you feel wired, do something active; if you feel sick, don't force anything down; hungry for pickles and ice cream? eat it until your craving is sated. Otherwise, all I can say is hold on for the ride. You won't forget it."

Flopping back against Regina, Ruby groaned. "Great. Even my dream of having kids comes with strings attached."

"Now, now," Granny tutted. "It's not the end of the world. I can attest that the results are more than worth it."

"Hey, Granny," Henry then greeted from the entryway before either Ruby or Regina could say anything else.

Regina smiled up at him and gestured at the small space between Ruby and Granny. "Come sit, sweetheart."

"Hello, Henry," Granny replied once he sat beside her. Unlike with Ruby, she eagerly accepted his embrace, eliciting a slightly jealous frown from Ruby. After releasing Henry, Granny gave him a dimpled grin. "You keeping these two hot-heads in line?"

The corner of his lips quirked up. "Trying to. It's a hard job, though."

"It is," said Granny, "but of anyone, you're most qualified to do it. Just don't let the hormonal behavior you witness over the next eight months scare you off girls."

Henry chuckled. "Thanks, I won't."

"Fat chance of that," Ruby added. "Kid's got it all: good looks, smarts, ambition, and that's not to mention his three hot and very cool moms. He's going to be swimming in ladies once he hits college."

When Henry blushed scarlet, all three women cooed at him, causing him to flush even more. But he hadn't been angry or embarrassed. Ruby was an infamous tease, so he was used being picked on. Besides, Henry gave every bit as good as he got.

"From your lips to God's ears," he said, sporting an ear to ear grin. Everyone began to laugh then.

Once the mirth died down, an easy conversation ensued during which they discussed Henry's plans for college (he was currently weighing his options, but was down to two potential majors he refused to reveal until he had decided), and then on to new Granny had picked up about the wolf situation from the Merry Men (it was bad, Joshua had wiped out at least half of the population, if not more). But after that dreary topic, Ruby brought up potential baby names, and everyone had a good time laughing at some of her more colorful suggestions. Lastly, Granny went on to confess how truly relieved she was that both Regina and Ruby were okay, and that despite her gruff manner, she loved them both.

As she spoke, it was abundantly clear to Regina just how relieved the elder Lucas was to see them both whole, healthy, and happy, especially where Ruby was concerned. Having barely left the hospital at all since Ruby arrived there two days earlier, Granny was aware of that she was well on her way to a clean bill of health, but even so, Regina knew it was totally different to see Ruby back at home where she belonged. It was because Ruby being home again made her recovery more tangible and therefore made it easier for those who loved her to breathe again without worrying she might fall apart at any second.

After staying for about an hour, Granny had excused herself as the diner required her attention, but she did not depart before giving her whole family a hug and a kiss and making them promise to call if they needed her. Not long, Snow and David showed up, having wisely opted to leave Neal in the care of his doting sister. That visit had started a little uncomfortably.

Of course, it was status quo for there to be an initial period of awkwardness whenever Regina and Snow were in a room together and it always took some time for it to fade. Regina was willing to concede that the slightly stilted nature of her relationship with her former stepdaughter was almost completely her own doing. Even with 5 years of conditioning herself to eliminate the negative responses where Snow was concerned, she just couldn't stop them sometimes. There were far too many years of ingrained habits for her to change completely. Regina was determined to keep at it, though, and not just for the sake of her son and girlfriend, but for her own as well.

For a while after the Charmings arrived, Regina had remained in relative silence as Ruby and Snow chatted amiably while sitting next to one another on the couch in the living room. But eventually, the subject of Neal was brought up and it naturally segued into conversation about the two future additions to the Mills family. Things smoothed out after that. Regina was so excited by the prospect of having babies in the house again that she could even talk about it with Snow. And so, by the time Snow and David left, everyone was in good spirits, Regina included.

For the next 3 hours after that, visitor after visitor came and went. Belle was the next to arrive, having brought her cheerful smile and a lovely arrangement of Peonies from her father's shop along with her. She and Ruby had visited for at least an hour, during which time Ruby was considerably more animated and energetic. Belle seemed to possess a singular ability to lift Ruby's spirits that Regina could never quite put her finger on. They were such different people, so it was hard to say what made their friendship work so well, but it did. Regardless of the cause, Regina was grateful that Ruby had such a friend as the kind and thoughtful librarian.

Dr. Hopper was the next visitor after Belle, and Regina had to confess that his visit was actually very nice. To her pleasant surprise, he had foregone his usual tendency to psychoanalyze things or offer unsolicited tidbits of advice. Instead, he had simply allowed them to direct the conversation as they pleased and had amiably responded without once redirecting it back on them. He very gracefully restricted all inquiries to their physical well-being only and other neutral topics that would not evoke strong emotions, though he did leave with an open-ended offer to talk should either of them ever have the need.

When Regina thanked him and promised to do so, she had meant it. While she wanted to dismiss the idea out of hand, she was grudgingly forced to admit that she couldn't, not on her part so much as Ruby's. What they had been through was bound to leave psychological and emotional scars that even time wouldn't heal, but Regina was adept at compartmentalizing her pain and redirecting it away from herself. At one time, she had done so in a destructive manner, but she had learned to focus her hurts into more productive outlets such as work and gardening and playing her piano.

But Ruby did not have the years of practice that Regina had in dealing with trauma. Strong as she was, it was very possible that Ruby would arrive at a day in which she required therapy to get past what had happened to her. For the time being, Regina was determined to try and help her girlfriend through the coming days as best she could by herself, but it helped to know Dr. Hopper was around should the need for his expertise present itself.

After Achie's visit, the last names on the list of visitors had come by in rapid succession. Tinkerbell was first among them, and then Ariel, Leroy, and lastly Kathryn. The flurry of activity in their house along with the previous visits left Ruby visibly drained, and so once Kathryn departed, Regina had sternly suggested in the kindest tone she could that Ruby lay down on the couch and rest. Her bedraggled partner was so exhausted by that point that she hadn't even protested when Regina guided her to lie back on the couch where she settled on her side, one hand tucked beneath the throw pillow and the other against her chest. Before Regina had even been able to retrieve a blanket to cover Ruby with, she had fallen fast asleep.

Once Ruby was out, Henry decided retired to his room to study a while longer before Emma came and picked him up for the night. Left alone with only her thoughts, Regina took the next hour to simply sit in the floor next to the couch and hold Ruby's hand while she slept. During that time, she was hardly able to focus on anything else besides the rhythmic rising and falling of her partner's chest. It was probably a creepy thing to do, but she had needed the double reassurance of seeing and feeling that Ruby was alive and safe.

For the next couple of weeks, there would be no avoiding Regina's unusually overprotective and possessive instincts where Ruby was concerned. She hoped she would be able to curb some of those tendencies where possible in order to give her free-spirited girlfriend some breathing room, but wasn't sure she would be able to. She knew she had to try though, for she had more than just Ruby to consider, but the wolf as well, and the wolf was ever a wild and untamed creature that had need of space to run. Sometimes it was easy for Regina to forget that. And while she wanted to give Ruby that space, she also needed to balance that with her own powerful compulsion to protect Ruby. It was going to be a delicate operation, but Regina was determined to find the balance to keep both of them satisfied.

It was nearly dinner time when Ruby finally woke. In all, she had slept for almost 2 and a half hours, most of which Regina had sat vigil on the floor beside her, having only gotten up in order to use the facilities and check on her son, and then again when she had needed to start preparing dinner. That time she had called Henry down to keep Ruby company, not wanting to leave her alone, which he was glad to do.

That night at dinner, as they so often did, Henry and Ruby chatted up a storm about every subject under the sun. And though they had also been diligent to include Regina in their conversations, there had really been no need. She was grateful for their inclusion, but seeing her son and her girlfriend interacting with such familiar ease and camaraderie had been the balm Regina needed to soothe what remained of the ragged edges of her nerves.

Finally at 7 in the evening, Emma stopped by to collect Henry. She had kept her visit brief, explaining to Regina that she and Ruby had talked a bit before she left the hospital and that she would call in the morning to check in and then stop by for a visit after work. While waiting for Henry to gather his things, Emma and Ruby had talked a bit and Regina had been all too aware of the not-so-subtle subtext going on between the two that had also been present in the hospital. She had been more than tempted to stick her nose where it didn't belong, but admirably restrained herself since the last thing she wanted on Ruby's first night home was to provoke another argument like the one they had earlier that day.

About 10 minutes later, Emma and Henry left, but not before Henry gave both his mother and "his mother's other" a hug and a kiss. Both Regina and Ruby had lingered in the doorway with muted smiles as they watched Henry's sturdy form amble away from them down the walkway to Emma's infamous Volkswagen. Together, they kept watch until they saw the taillights of the Bug disappear into the night and only after that had they headed back inside.

Once Regina had closed the newly repaired front door and locked up, Ruby had broken out into a gigantic and impressively loud yawn, which made Regina chuckle.

"Come on, let's get you in bed," she said with a fond smile and then promptly ushered a suddenly sluggish Ruby up the stairs and down the hallway into the bedroom.

The first thing Ruby did was collapse face first onto the bed and groan. A tired exhale soon followed.

"I feel like I could curl up and hibernate for about a week," she complained after she had rolled over onto her back to look at Regina through hooded eyes.

"Then do so," Regina had told her as she bent down to remove Ruby's sneakers and socks. "You need to stop fighting your body and let it do its job."

Ruby had nodded mutely as she gazed down at Regina, watching with a half-sleepy and half-dopey smile as Regina worked to undress her. After pulling off Ruby's pants and t-shirt, Regina stripped her down to her bra and panties and then tossed the clothes into the hamper next to the bathroom. Next, she retrieved one of Ruby's favorite sleeping shirts, an oversized red t-shirt which had the bold white words "Property of the Queen" garishly stamped on its front. Not even needing to be told what to do, Ruby then deftly removed her bra and tossed it from the bed into the hamper.

"Swish!" she exclaimed when it landed inside, slurring out the 'sh' sound in an almost inebriated fashion.

As she approached the bed, Regina chuckled at her girlfriend's exhausted silliness, though she had to fight against distraction at Ruby's naked breasts and the few remaining scars that still lined her otherwise flawless torso. After gesturing in a dutifully obeyed command for Ruby to hold her arms up, Regina slipped the t-shirt over her head and arranged it on her body. She then twirled her finger around in a circle, indicating for Ruby to turn around. With a tired smile, Ruby obliged and turned around to sit cross-legged with her back straight and shoulders squared.

"Very impressive, no slouching," Regina drawled with praise. "Maybe there's hope for you yet."

"Maybe so," Ruby chuckled in response around another yawn.

After retrieving Ruby's hairbrush from the nightstand, Regina began to gently work it through the long, luxurious mane of dark brown hair she had learned to appreciate and envy in equal measures. Ruby's hair silky and curled naturally in that tumbling way that women the world over yearned for. It was model-worthy, really, which when matched with her equally pretty face, made for a combination that anyone with eyes could appreciate

As Regina gently stroked the brush through Ruby's hair, her contented partner hummed and sighed. Within a few minutes of careful attention, Ruby's head began to loll, and so Regina sat the brush aside and pulled Ruby's hair into a low but functional ponytail. After that was done, she guided a pliant Ruby down under the covers and tucked her in.

Once Ruby was settled in, Regina made quick work of her own clothes and then slipped on a blue silk nighty that left most of her legs and upper chest exposed. She felt a little bad at the desire her choice of clothing provoked in Ruby's lidded eyes, but she had needed as much skin on skin contact as was possible without being a distraction to them both, and also knew that Ruby needed it just as badly.

As soon as Regina slipped beneath the covers and settled into her spot on her back, Ruby wasted no time in arranging herself as close as she could. She then gently settled her cheek against the skin of Regina's upper chest and nestled the crown of her head into the junction of Regina's shoulder and neck. With one arm slung low across Regina's belly and their bare legs tangled together, Ruby then took in a prolonged breath and then exhaled. Just like that, all movement promptly stilled, and Regina knew Ruby had succumbed to her exhaustion.

The sensation of being in their bed again, with Ruby reassuringly heavy in her arms, was wonderful for Regina – perfect, really, because it felt like home. She was where she belonged: in her house, in her own bed, with the woman she loved more than life itself. The ensuing rush of fulfillment and relief brought tears to her eyes, though she stubbornly refused to allowed them to fall.

And that is where Regina found herself 4 hours later, with Ruby cuddled up in her arms and sleeping in relative peace. Regina was glad she had the foresight to send Henry home with Emma to give her this time alone with Ruby because the coming hours were not going to be easy on either of them.

Since this was Ruby's first night sleeping without the aid of medication, she would almost certainly experience terrible nightmares, especially considering the extremity of the trauma she had endured. Furthermore, the night terrors would probably be particularly disturbing ones due to the waxing of the moon growing near. The wolf sometimes induced violent dreams that woke Ruby screaming on nights she had gone to be happy and carefree. As such, Regina had felt that sending Henry with Emma was the best she could do to shield both him and Ruby from witnessing something that would hurt them both.

Although Henry was well past the age of being old enough to understand what was going on, as his mother Regina still felt the instinctive drive to protect him. A mother never stops being a mother even when their child has reached maturity. Much to his credit, after having explained the situation as best she could, Henry had accepted her reasoning and had actually seen the wisdom in giving her the night alone with Ruby.

And so here she was, laying in bed at 1 am, wide awake and waiting for the inevitable thrashing and moaning that would indicate Ruby was entering the first of many nightmares to come.

When the suddenly shrill ringing of her phone on the nightstand next to her startled Regina out of her contemplation, she physically flinched.

"Dammit," she sighed, cursing herself for forgetting to either mute or turn the cursed device off. She just hoped Ruby hadn't awakened.

Glancing down, she was met by Ruby's peacefully sleeping face and breathed a sigh of relief. As the ringing continued, she wiggled a little to her left and stretched her arm out to grope blindly for her phone. After two more rings, she finally was able to grab hold of it and lifted it up so as to see the screen.

Regina rolled her eyes and sighed at the name that greeted her. After unlocking the device, she hastily stuck it to her ear. "What?" she grouched in a harsh whisper, carefully modulating the volume of her voice so as to not wake Ruby.

" _Oh, I'm sorry_ ," her sister's accented voice drifted over the line, a hint of playful mocking in it. " _Did I wake you?_ "

Regina took a deep breath through her nostrils. "No, I was awake. What do you want?"

" _Aww_ ," Zelena drawled, " _is that anyway to speak to your elder sibling? And one who – without needing to be asked, I might add – fixed up the aftermath of your little temper tantrum back at the hospital_."

Regina sighed and counted to ten. Even after having learned to care for and respect her sister, Zelena still had a way getting under Regina's skin. She had heard more than once since Zelena returned from the dead that it was just the way sisters were, and while that was likely true, Regina mostly figured it was just because she was who she was and Zelena was Zelena. No amount of sisterhood could account for the frequent polar shifts of their relationship.

Regina probably wouldn't have even had a real relationship with her sister if it weren't for Ruby's steady and gentle encouragement. More than once, she had gone out of her way to invite Zelena to family functions, and always made sure the copper-haired woman felt included. If Regina went too long period of time without speaking to Zelena, Ruby made a point to prompt her into at least calling, and though Regina always resisted, she rarely ended a talk with Zelena without feeling better. Sometimes, she had found, it helped just knowing that she still had a piece of her mother around besides herself, and in Zelena, Regina could see more of Cora than she ever had in herself.

"I heard what you did," she eventually replied, her tone softening, "and I'm grateful. You didn't have to help me, but you did, and I know it's because you care. So, thank you."

" _You're welcome._ " A long pause then descended over the line before Zelena then asked, " _How is she?_ "

"Sleeping," Regina replied. "She had a busy day and was exhausted by the time it was over."

" _I'm sure. Listen, I'm not going to keep you long, but I want you to know that I figured it out_."

Regina's eyes narrowed. "You figured what out, exactly?"

" _What you did to save Ruby's life._ "

Regina felt her throat close, and her answer reflected that strain. "I don't know what you're talking about."

" _Oh, don't play dumb with me,_ " Zelena retorted. " _You halved your heart, didn't you? Ruby has one and you have the other, just like Snow White and Prince Charming. Tell me it isn't true._ "

Glancing over at Ruby, Regina checked to make sure she was asleep. She couldn't have Ruby overhearing the conversation with her sensitive ears. She also couldn't lie to Zelena. Her sister would know.

"Keep your voice down," Regina replied. After a moment to gather her wits, she then asked, "Who told you?"

" _No one. As I said, I figured it out on my own. Don't worry, dear sister, your secret is safe with me._ "

Regina sighed and brushed a hand through her hair as she stared at the ceiling. "How can I be sure of that?"

" _You can't, in truth, but I can at least promise you that I also know what it would to do Ruby to find out and would therefore never risk blabbing to her. As much as you are my sister and I care for you, I also care for her._ "

"Well, that's reassuring," Regina conceded, "but why tell me this now? Couldn't it have waited."

" _No, it couldn't,_ " said Zelena, her voice sounding insistent. " _You did something incredibly foolish, Regina, but it was also incredibly brave. And I know how you are, that you'll worry incessantly about others discovering the truth and using it against you. I called to tell you that you are wise to do so, and should you allow me, I will help you to prevent that from happening._ "

It was disconcerting how well Zelena knew her. "And just how would you do that?"

" _You are a gifted apothecary, Regina, but you lack ingredients to make enough memory potions to feel truly secure. I, however, do not. I have a ready supply of marsh lobelia that is at your disposal._ "

This surprised Regina. She had thought her collection of the potent weed to be the only remaining supply in Storybrooke, and that was getting woefully insufficient for even low grade remedies and potions. Zelena had been holding out on her, it seemed.

"I will take that under consideration," Regina replied, truly tempted to accept. "For now, I'm content to let things play out. But should the need arise, I will remember your offer."

" _That's all I ask,"_ came Zelena's reply, and Regina could hear the smile behind her voice. " _In any case, I merely wanted to inform you so as to remove at least one worry from off your mind._ "

"Which I truly appreciate," Regina interjected, hoping Zelena knew she was serious. It really would help her to sleep better knowing she had recourse to prevent the knowledge of Ruby's resurrection from being widely published.

" _Yes, well, I am your elder sibling, and you are also my only blood relative until my nieces or nephews are born, so if someone is going to watch out for you, it's going to be me._ "

Regina smiled into the phone, wishing Zelena could see it. "I wouldn't have any one else for the job."

" _Thanks, Sis! I never thought I'd live to see the day Regina Mills was glad to have me around. That brought a tear to my eyes."_

Regina scoffed. Leave it to Zelena to turn a compliment into a chance for a lighthearted dig. "Go to bed Zelena, and let me try to do the same while I still can."

" _Oh, fine. You're no fun tonight, but I suppose you have a good reason. Anyway, give the better half my love, won't you?_ "

"I will. Goodnight, Zelena."

" _Goodnight_."

And with that, Zelena promptly disconnected the call. After replacing the phone on the nightstand, Regina settled back against the pillows, frowning. Zelena's announcement had thrown her for a loop that she was still reeling from. It had been two days since she gave Ruby half of her heart, and already someone had figured out what she'd done without being privy to inside information.

That Zelena was clever and knew as much if not more about magic than Regina did meant that it was not all that surprising she'd deduced how Regina saved Ruby's life. But Zelena was not the only person capable of making such leaps in logic, Rumplestiltskin coming foremost to mind. Regina shuddered to think what he would do if he were to realize what she had done. That was precisely the kind of leverage that he lived to accrue, and she knew that he would wield it without mercy, with no regard for Belle's objections.

The thought made Zelena's offer seem all the more tempting. Perhaps she would consult with her sister after all, just in case. One never could be too careful.

Settled that she would talk to Zelena later on about making the potions, Regina glanced down once more at her sleeping lover. She allowed her eyes to scan over her what she could see of Ruby's face, starting with rounded smoothness of her forehead, then on to her exquisitely arched eyebrows, and finally down the long, flat slope of her nose which was still buried against Regina's chest. She gingerly began to thread the fingers of her free hand through the loose strands of Ruby's ponytail and as she did so, Regina felt a strong emotional current begin to swell in her chest, which tightened as the tide increased in intensity.

When the cresting waters of her enormous love for Ruby rose to the point she could no longer contain them, she turned her head and took a shaky breath. Allowing a solitary tear to escape the confines of her lids, she closed her eyes and followed its slow, winding trek down her cheek, where it then spilled from her jaw to drip upon her pillow. Overcome at last, Regina could do nothing but battle to keep herself from falling apart.

It frightened her to be fully aware of just integral Ruby had become; it was almost as if Ruby now permeated her entire being, that Ruby had become an essential part of her. Judging by her reaction to what had happened in the hellish basement just 5 blocks away, Regina felt her fear was not at all inappropriate.

When she had killed Joshua, however she accomplished that commendable deed, she had surrendered so completely to her rage that she lost the memories of her actions, and that had not happened to her since before she learned about the existence of the Dark Curse.

About a year before that, Regina had almost captured Snow in a little village near the outskirts of the kingdom. Acting on reliable information she had received from her network of spies, she tracked the bandit princess and her werewolf there, only to be thwarted yet again. When she arrived, Snow and Red were nowhere to be found.

After interrogating villagers until those who harbored the fugitives were ferreted out, she had all those who were complicit rounded up and brought to the town square. Under duress, they admitted to their complicity and confessed that Snow and Red had escaped her clutches by mere minutes. The setback proved too much for Regina to handle. In reprisal, she executed the guilty one by one, staining the earth with their blood, and then put the village to the torch.

Back at the Dark Palace, she had summoned the warden of her dungeons and ordered him to make account of the prisoners scheduled for execution. He proceeded to name twenty names that night, twenty people that she then ordered him to gather into a single cell in the midst of the dungeons. Regina watched personally from the doorway as he and the guards carried out that duty, and once the condemned were packed in and secured like cattle on the way to slaughter, she ordered everyone out.

"Unfortunately for you all, today was not good for me," she said to the shivering and blubbering mass of humanity cramped into cell like human sardines. "In fact, I'm feeling rather chilled to the bone. I believe a fire is in order to warm me up."

Flicking her wrist, she summoned a fireball and held it out with a baleful grin. "Thank your beloved princess for this when you see her in hell." And with that, she casually tossed the fireball into the cell, observing with grim satisfaction as it exploded in the midst of the prisoners. The tattered rags of those who weren't incinerated soon caught fire, and Regina had stepped back, flames flickering in her eyes, to watch them burn. She only left the dungeons when they were reduced to a smoldering pile of ash and bone. That night, she slipped into bed with a smile on her face.

But the next morning she'd woken up with no recollection of what she'd done the night before, and it was only after sifting through her memories with magic that she discovered the extent of her murderous rampage. Later in the day upon searching the list of prisoners she torched, she discovered that one of them was a striking woman of exotic complexion who refused to give her name but was a known collaborator of Snow's that Regina had personally arrested weeks before. In her madness, she had squandered a golden opportunity to leverage the unidentified woman for Snow's potential hiding places. It was a mistake Regina never made again, at least until Joshua Woods had savaged one of the most kind, loving, and compassionate people in existence.

Needless to say, it had shaken Regina to her core when she woke the morning after rescuing Ruby to a blank slate past the point of her giving Ruby half of her heart. In the hours that followed she had replayed the events of the previous night on a loop in an attempt to access the blocked memories, but it was a fruitless endeavor. Even magic, which she tried as soon as she could muster the energy, could not reveal what had happened – her mind had completely blocked the events from being retrieved. As such, she could only speculate as to what she'd done, and though she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she'd killed Joshua, she doubted she would ever fully recall the particulars of her methods, which was probably a good thing overall. Knowing how thoroughly she had snapped was bad enough as it was.

Feeling unsettled and nauseous at the possibilities, Regina had somehow managed to forcefully push back that unease until she could see Ruby, which happened around noon that day. After having made sure with her own eyes that her girlfriend was okay, she had fled from the room in order to sequester herself, which she did in an empty waiting room. She then magically shielded the room to block anyone else from seeing inside and all sound from escaping. Only then had she at last allowed herself to break down, and she had done just that in a spectacular fashion reminiscent of her days as the Queen.

By that time, there had been an untenable amount of anguish bottled up inside of her. Though the sources were many, the main culprits were her stabbing; Ruby's torture, death, and revival; and the epic meltdown that had unleashed the monster that was the Evil Queen once more. Of all of those things, what Ruby had gone through was the worst agony of all, and as Regina stood all alone in that room, the memories of Ruby dangling lifelessly from those cursed chains, with her face and body broken and abused nearly beyond recognition, had besieged Regina's mind until she went berserk.

Consumed by grief and rage, she had alternated between screaming and crying – and not just your run of the mill, everyday, ordinary crying either; no this was hysterical, desperate, gasping, and wretched sobbing. The sounds of her grief had seemed to reverberate throughout the room, echoing and colliding as if to amplify its power, and finally having reached a crescendo of brokenness, she then proceeded to shatter and break and rend everything she could get her hands on.

Finally after having spent herself, Regina collapsed to the floor in exhaustion amid the debris. For a while afterward, she sat motionless and silent, allowing her tears to flow unimpeded. In that moment, she had felt as crushed as she ever had in her life, but after about half an hour in the floor wallowing in misery, she knew she had to pull herself together for her family's sake.

As Regina stood on unsteady legs, she had taken several deep, cleansing breaths and then focused on Ruby and Henry, narrowing her world down to the two people who were most vital to it. It took a few minutes for her to compose herself, but she eventually got herself ready to face reality again. Thinking back now on that catharsis, she wished it would be so easy for Ruby, but sadly Ruby was not going to be so lucky.

Regina sighed. There were likely many sleepless nights and tears in store for them both over the coming weeks and while she wished for all the world that it was possible to take every last ounce of Ruby's suffering onto herself, that was far beyond even her extraordinary capabilities. Instead, all she could do was be there for Ruby: to hold her, to love her, to kiss away her tears, and to be a sounding board and a lifeline. As Henry had earlier declared, that was something Regina _could_ do and she was going to do so to the best of her ability.

With a deep breath, Regina cleared her mind of troubling thoughts and laid silently, contently cradling Ruby in her arms. Peace washed over her as she relaxed, and soon enough she closed her eyes and allowed the sounds of Ruby's steady breathing along with the gentle wind brushing over the windows to transport her to a happier place.

She drifted off a couple of times over the next hour but was awakened each instance by the a movement of Ruby's legs against her own. The last time, a tormented moan followed.

Glancing down, Regina could see Ruby's brow crease and her eyes begin shifting to and fro beneath closed lids. Her subconscious distress was manifesting in the form of a creased brow and beads of sweat that dotted her forehead, causing it to glisten in the moonlight. As she battled the demons haunting her sleep, Ruby started mouth words against the skin of Regina's chest, and though Regina could not decipher them, she could sense that they were pleas for help.

Finally after about 5 minutes of twitching and moaning, Ruby erupted from the bed with a strangled scream. Regina steeled herself. It had begun.


	23. Only Forever Will Suffice

**Notes** : In this chapter, Regina comforts Ruby who has had a nightmare, and Ruby finds the perfect moment. Also in this chapter, I push the boundaries of risque writing as far as I am willing to go. Don't say I never gave y'all anything!

 **Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

* * *

" _I promise you, I promise you (Take my strength), I honour you with everything (Take my strength)_

 _I promise you (and I) will see it through (You lay dreaming?) The endless light you shine on me_

 _All I needed_ " - Tessaract "Tourniquet"

* * *

 **Chapter 22** – Only Forever Will Suffice

Before Regina could even attempt to reach for Ruby, her distraught partner threw back the covers, flung herself from the bed, and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Regina could do little more than dumbly stare, confounded as she was by the extremity of the panicked display.

Normally when Ruby had a nightmare – which wasn't very often – she gasped awake and then went rigid until she realized she had only been dreaming. If the dream was a particularly bad one, she would come awake screaming and then bolt upright with her hands pulling at her hair or clutching desperately at her chest. Never had Ruby acted so utterly incoherent.

Half shocked and half distressed by Ruby's uncharacteristic behavior, Regina set up in the bed with a hand over her pounding heart. "Ruby! Ruby, are you alright? Ruby!"

Ruby completely ignored the calls as she scrambled frantically on her hands and knees into the corner of the bedroom, where she drew herself up into a tight ball and tucked her long legs up under chin. Whimpering in fear, she cast gleaming yellow eyes about the darkened room, searching instinctively for any potential sources of danger. She was, Regina knew, mired in that hazy state between wakefulness and the inescapable grip of the horrors her subconscious mind had conjured.

After easing herself from the bed with deliberate motions so as not to startle a visibly skittish and trembling Ruby, Regina padded carefully forward, keeping her footsteps light. Ruby tracked Regina's progress warily as she moved one step at a time across the short distance, her gaze showing no recognition at all.

"Ruby, it's just me," Regina offered in a soft, non-threatening tone, hoping the familiarity of her voice would coax Ruby out of the throes of insensibility.

Stopping a few paces in front of where Ruby was huddled up, Regina held her hands out in front of her in a posture of submission. The mollifying gesture was something Ruby had long ago instructed her to attempt when met with an uncontrolled transformation. In such situations, Ruby had explained, the wolf was at the fore, and even when she recognized and accepted Regina as her mate, it was best to proceed with caution. When Ruby was not in full control, the wolf could still be unpredictable.

At present, however, Ruby did not seem to be in the midst of a radical shift, and although it was evident the wolf was no longer dormant, it remained to be determined how active she was.

Hands still held out before her, Regina decided her best course of action was to attempt talking again. From experience, she knew that verbal communication was the best way to coax Ruby out from under the sway of her alter ego without provoking a confrontation. Though it would not be the first time such an encounter happened, Regina wanted to avoid one at all costs.

There had only been a handful of times since they became a couple that Ruby was not in complete control of her transformations, and only a few of those required Regina's intervention. The only way the wolf ever got an upper hand was when Ruby was being overwhelmed by primal emotions that her animalistic half fed upon, such as intense anger or irrational fright or when she felt someone she loved was in immediate danger and needed protection.

Once during a particularly vicious argument, they had been reduced to screaming in each others faces in the living room. Regina had honestly forgotten what the argument about, just that it was over something completely asinine, but she had had a disastrous day at the office and Ruby was dealing with the effects of the full moon.

After receiving a brutal dig from Regina, Ruby had pushed Regina away to create some separation, and it all went downhill from there. Because of Wolf's Time, Regina had been fully aware that Ruby was at the limits of her ability to restrain herself, but she'd gotten so worked up that the physical contact set her off. Even though Ruby had not been acting in aggression, Regina had never appreciated people putting their hands on her uninvited, so in retaliation, she shoved Ruby back.

Unfortunately, she put so much such force behind the blow that Ruby lost her footing and tumbled backwards, hitting her head on the coffee table as she fell. And while the force of the impact was not enough to knock Ruby out, it certainly succeeded in angering her beyond the ability to see sense. The moment Ruby recovered from the fall, her eyes turned yellow and she began to snarl and growl, and no amount of profuse apologizing from Regina could have prevented her irate partner from marching out the front door and shedding her human skin the second her feet hit the grass. Regina did not see Ruby for 3 whole days after that impressive but regrettable row.

But there were instances when Ruby had been successfully talked down, such the recent case when she had almost shifted in the lobby of the hospital after Regina was stabbed. If Emma had not been there to anchor Ruby to her human side, the wolf would have taken over and likely gone after Joshua much sooner. Had that happened, Regina would have been too late to save Ruby by sharing her heart, and the very thought of that scenario was disturbing to Regina on too many levels to describe. But Emma had been there, and her quick thinking had quite literally saved the day by delaying Ruby's ill-fated attempt at vengeance just long enough.

In any case, the wolf – while admirably attempting to protect her human half – was not helping matters at all considering Ruby's current condition. Hiding behind the basal instincts of her four-legged self was not conducive to a productive recovery, so she needed to deal with happened happened to her directly lest she prolong things more than necessary.

"You're safe, Ruby," Regina said evenly and calmly. "Just try to relax. You were having a nightmare, but it's over. No one can hurt you anymore."

Regina waited a moment for Ruby to acknowledge her, but when Ruby continued to sit there trembling from head to toe while staring blankly and making pitiful noises, Regina could not contain her compulsion to end the stalemate as quickly as possible. The longer she let Ruby linger in the pseudo-fugue state, the harder it would be to get her out of it.

"Please, Ruby," she implored, begging with her eyes for Ruby to see she meant no harm. "I love you, and I just want to help. _Please._ Can I come closer? I swear I will not hurt you."

A tense second of silence passed before a sliver of recognition passed through Ruby's expression. After sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, she gave a tentative nod. Bitter tears that had gathered underneath her lids began to cascade down her pale, flushed cheeks.

Very slowly, Regina began to step closer, making sure to keep her hands visible at all times. From the perspective of Ruby's trauma-arrested brain, hidden hands could be concealing weapons meant to harm her.

As Regina moved, Ruby's glowing eyes tracked her, and once within arm's reach, she paused. She looked down and was met by a tortured yet intimidating gaze. Up close, the ethereal tint of Ruby's eyes were mesmerizing, but Regina knew she had to be careful – the wolf was lurking just beneath the surface of Ruby's skin, itching to be let loose to proactively shield her reeling human half.

Gathering her composure, Regina smoothed her features into a disarming smile, and no sooner than she did, some of the tension dissipated from Ruby's coiled up form. With calculated movements, she then lowered herself down to the floor until she was on her knees in front of Ruby, leveling their line of sight – another tactic designed to put Ruby at ease. In that position, her knees skimmed against Ruby's curled up toes, and the contact was purposeful, meant as much to relax Ruby as it was to give Regina the reassurance of proximity to her bedraggled partner.

"Can I touch you?" she then asked, knowing better than to presume with Ruby in such a state. The last thing she wanted was to alarm Ruby, thus provoking a reaction which would spiral the situation out of control and push Ruby further away from her. Animalistic fear was already holding Ruby captive; Regina was not about to afford it more purchase.

Holding her hand out toward her wary girlfriend, she encouraged Ruby to smell the proffered appendage, an appeal to the wolf who had only surfaced in response to the nightmarish assault on the unconscious mind of its kindred spirit. She watched intently, breathing halted, as Ruby sniffed her hand a time or two. At first it seemed to have no noticeable effect, but then Ruby inhaled sharply and turned her eyes up. Although they remained dulled and glassy with untold pain and unshed tears, their yellow glow faded almost instantly into a familiar and brilliant shade of green.

"'Gina?" Ruby at last spoke, slurring her words slightly.

"Mmhmm," Regina hummed, relieved that Ruby had emerged from the aftereffects of her nightmare. "It's me, sweetheart. Are you okay?" The answer to that question was obvious, but Regina wanted to prompt Ruby, knowing she would never willingly bring up her own feelings in a misguided attempt to reassure Regina.

Ruby sniffled and then wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "No, not really. I uh..." She gave a short shake of her head, her chin began to quiver as tears gathered at her lids once more. "It was so real, and I couldn't get out, I couldn't..." Ruby turned to hide her face and drew a shuddering breath.

Regina felt her chest tighten. She hated watching Ruby struggle so much, and though she wished for all the world that she could take Ruby's pain onto herself and suffer on her behalf, such substitution was not possible.

Since Ruby was a tactile person, she took a chance and reached out to touch Ruby's cheek. Instead of flinching back as Regina feared she might, Ruby leaned into the contact with another pitiful whimper.

"I know it was scary," Regina soothed, "but it wasn't real. I'm not going to lie to you, though, the next few days and weeks are going to be hard, but you won't be alone, Ruby. I will be here for you. I'll take a leave of absence from the mayor's office if I must, but I promise you I will help you get through this. It _is_ going to be okay." When Ruby nodded again through a rather pitiful sniffle, Regina dropped her hand and then held her arms out in an inviting gesture. "Come here. Let me hold you a while."

To Regina's immense relief the offer was not refused. A second later, Ruby launched herself into Regina's waiting arms, and Regina wasted no time securing Ruby tightly within the safe confines of her embrace.

"I've got you, angel. I've got you," Regina whispered as she rubbed a gentle circular pattern into Ruby's shoulders. After tucking her face into the crook of Regina's neck, Ruby immediately begin to shake under the tidal force of her despair, and she soon began to soak Regina's shoulder with her tears.

"Shhh," Regina cooed, her heart breaking as Ruby wept, gasping from time to time as she unloaded her pent up anguish. Tears of her own pricked at Regina's eyes at the poignant outpouring of emotional pain. It hurt her to see Ruby hurting. "It's okay, sweetheart. Shh...you're okay. I'm right here, and I love you, and I won't let go."

Regina was unable to tell exactly how much time passed as she comforted her distraught girlfriend, allowing Ruby to cry on her shoulder and biting back protests whenever strong arms clenched around her so tightly that she felt her bones might pop. Finally after what she guessed was five minutes, Ruby settled enough to pull away, and when she did, Regina noted that her eyes were red and a bead of snot was running from her nose. She looked such a tragically beautiful mess in that moment that for a split second, Regina's breath was stolen away. But the pain in Ruby's eyes – and there was so very much pain – jerked her out of her besotted stupor.

Gazing at Ruby encouragingly, she then asked: "Can you tell me what happened?"

"It...was...him," Ruby replied, hiccuping from the intensity of her weeping. "He came back...for me. I tried to stop him. But...he chained me up again." Ruby's bloodshot eyes widened as her voice then took on an almost hysterical tone. "And then you were there and he was stabbing you over and over and over and over, and I...I...I couldn't stop him! I couldn't stop him! I couldn't stop him! I'm _so sorry!_ "

Collapsing against Regina again, Ruby clutched her desperately as she sobbed even more miserably than before. Burying one hand in Ruby's hair, Regina pressed the other against the small of Ruby's back and then maneuvered herself to sit back on the floor, pulling Ruby properly into her lap as she did so. In response to the change in position, Ruby pressed in close and wrapped her legs around Regina's waist while she almost clung to Regina as if she was only safety net capable of catching her.

"I'm here, Ruby, alive and well, and so are you," Regina whispered against the shell of Ruby's ear. "It was just a horrible dream. He's dead. He can't hurt either of us ever again."

Ruby's only response was to attempt drawing in even more tightly until she was sitting in Regina's lap like a child terrified of the monsters underneath their bed. Regina had never seen Ruby so vulnerable, and she found herself floundering for what else to do or say to reassure Ruby beyond simply allowing her to siphon whatever strength she needed to make it through this latest test of her mental mettle.

After a while of simply holding Ruby, whose crying had petered out to halted sniffling and whimpering, Regina felt her legs begin to go numb from supporting her partner's weight. She fidgeted in place to try to restore blood flow, lacking the heart to force Ruby away when her need of comfort was so dire. Instead, Regina rested her cheek against Ruby's sweat dampened forehead and willed herself to forget about her discomfort as she gently rocked them both in the motherly rhythm that had always helped to soothe childhood Henry's fears.

When at last Ruby started to relax once again, Regina heard and felt her take a tremulous breath.

"It was _so_ real," she whispered, her voice as unsteady as her body.

"But it wasn't," Regina assured her. "You're touching me, I'm touching you. Don't you feel that? _This_ is real. Us, right here, right now, together." Regina felt Ruby's arms tighten around her as if testing the assertion. "See?"

Ruby pulled away and then wiped at her reddened nose, sniffling yet again. "Yeah. I'm really sorry about this. I bet I woke you up, huh?"

Regina pulled away enough to press a kiss to Ruby's forehead, though her hand remained soothing through the hair at the nape of Ruby's neck. "Think nothing of it. I couldn't really sleep, so I was already awake."

Ruby frowned. "Did I keep you up?"

"Of course not," Regina partially lied as she embraced Ruby's face and began to smooth away her tears with the pads of her thumbs. "Do you think you can get back to sleep?"

Ruby shook her head in the negative. "Probably not right now, but I know what might help."

Regina's brow raised. "Oh? What's that?"

Ducking her head, Ruby glanced up at Regina through long, tear-matted lashes. "Would you consider playing something? I know it's late and you're probably tired, but just this once maybe you can make an exception? For me?" To sweeten the deal, Ruby playfully batted her eyelashes and jutted out her bottom lip. " _Please_?"

Not even a bit aggravated at the power Ruby continued to wield over her with only a well-practice pout, Regina tilted her head and smiled. She then leaned in to give her girlfriend a tender kiss. "Of course I will. Anything for you."

"Thank you," Ruby replied, grinning after having returned the kiss. She then worked her way out of Regina's lap and very carefully straightened herself to stand. After testing her legs and finding them steady enough, she offered her hand to Regina and helped to pull the older woman up off the floor.

Once standing, Regina carefully studied Ruby, trying to assess her true state now that her fit of justifiable irrationality had passed. Over the years, Ruby had become more adept at hiding her feelings, but as unbalanced as she currently was, her fear and doubt was being broadcast as if from a neon marquee, despite her bravest attempts to shutter them off.

Ruby shied away from the discerning gaze and tried to deflect Regina's unspoken concern, which was not surprising at all. Ruby did not like to be fretted over. "I'm so sorry about all this."

"Hey, none of that," Regina replied, drawing Ruby back into her embrace to stand with their arms wound around one another and noses nearly touching. "It's not your fault. Admittedly the extremity took me by surprise, but I expected this reaction. Remember, I've been where you are, in a sense, and I don't want you to make the same mistakes as I did. I bottled everything up until it consumed me, turned me into someone I never wanted to be, and I don't want the same for you. If you want to get better, you have to let all of this out. And that's what I want. I want you to get better. I _need_ you to get better."

"In my mind, I hear you," Ruby replied sadly, "but my heart is a different story. I just hate feeling so weak, and I hate being such a burden to you even more."

Pulling back a bit, Regina took Ruby's face between her hands and fixed her with a mildly chiding gaze. "You are not a burden," she firmly asserted. "I love you, and that means being here whenever you need me, no matter what. So let me. I'm here. Take my strength, however much you need, whenever you need it. Draw from it, just as I draw from yours when I'm feeling low or worthless or weak. That's what love is. Take from me and don't hold back. I give myself freely."

With liquid green eyes, Ruby inhaled a quavering breath of emotion. "God, I love you so much," she whispered, and then leaned in for a kiss.

When their lips met, Regina allowed the effect of the heady contact to wash over her, replacing her concerns with a delicious tingling that suffused her body from crown to sole. And then Ruby took Regina's upper lip between her own, sucking it into her mouth and laving the scar upon it with her tongue. The sensation elicited a breathy moan from Regina, and quite on their own, her hips surged forward, which caused Ruby to gasp against her lips.

Strong arms immediately slid low around Regina's waist, and as she pulled Regina tighter against her body, Ruby tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Regina sighed into her partner's eager mouth, the inviting warmth and wetness combining with the cherry scent of Ruby's shampoo. It was an intoxicating mixture that had Regina clenching her thighs together.

Surrendering to pleasure, she immersed herself in the sensual reactions the kiss elicited from her body. It never ceased to amaze her how instinctively she responded to Ruby, as if her mind, heart, soul, and body were all in one accord in desiring the irreplaceable woman who had so effortlessly claimed them all. Loving Ruby came as easily to Regina as breathing.

As the Queen, Regina had indulged in countless affairs, and had experienced various forms of sexual chemistry with her conquests. She'd known the heights of passion, the thrill of carefully measured violence, and the pride of domination. She had lost herself more times than she could count in the physical pleasures of sex, taking thoughtlessly from the latest in a long line of human toys to catch her eye, never concerned whether they derived anything from the encounter or not so long as she got what she wanted.

But Ruby's love was a consuming flame and Regina the kindling that fed it, the oxygen that stoked it to burn hotter until both of them were engulfed in the inferno. With Ruby there was no possibility for selfishness, for every encounter was about the connection that bound them together, the threads that wove around them both until they had been joined into one seamless garment of indescribable beauty and undefinable value. Their love was something greater than sex, something more meaningful than physical acts, and it ran so deeply into Regina's soul that she could – without hesitation – let go of her hangups and retire her insecurities to the benches of the past.

But with that level of intimacy came a relinquishing of control that once would have been unimaginable for Regina. There was not a man or woman alive who had ever reduced her to begging for another kiss, for another touch or caress that would drive her mad with pleasure. Through practice and steely resolve, she had made herself into a hard woman who refused to surrender authority, even in the bedroom. But Ruby had acquired the power to reduce her to a quivering heap of wantonness, something Regina had learned to relish rather than loathe as the domineering control freak she used to be would have.

Regina had never felt secure enough with her other partners – or invested enough for that matter – to relinquish control of a tryst for even a second. As Leopold's trophy, she had been denied say in the use of her own body for years, and once she got it back, she had sworn to never let it go again. Sex after that became a weapon she wielded with deadly precision and her hand was always the one holding the hilt.

Ruby changed all of that when she waltzed into Regina's life with a milkshake and a smile. Without even trying, Ruby made her feel safe again, made it alright for her to let go of the reins in the bedroom for a while and to permit someone else have mastery over her body, a level of trust no one since Daniel had been permitted. And to Ruby's eternal credit, she had yet to abuse it.

As an alpha female werewolf, Ruby possessed the strength to take what she wanted without regard for Regina's feelings. However great a sorceress Regina was, her magic could not subdue the wolf for long, and physically she posed no threat to Ruby at all, something Ruby liked to remind her of on occasion by going all cavewoman, throwing Regina over her shoulder, and then proceeding to carry her around like a sack of potatoes. There was not a man in Storybrooke save Hercules who could match Ruby in physical prowess, but rather than assert that dominance as most alphas would, as Regina often had with her other lovers, Ruby took every opportunity she was given to prove her worthiness of the trust Regina placed in her by expending herself in worship of Regina as no other ever had.

And now, Ruby was in a position of weakness, of submission, desperately in need of the essential connection they shared. She was in need for Regina to return the favor by not abusing the power Regina held over her, for if Regina had been so inclined, it would be very easy for her to manipulate Ruby or worse, to break her down by dominating her or humiliating her sexually when she was too exposed to resist.

Sex was undeniably one of the greatest pleasures of life, but it was also treacherous and could be deadly when utilized selfishly or maliciously. Regina had been particularly adept at using sex to control her subjects or disarm enemies long enough for her to kill them up close and personal. Graham was perhaps the saddest example of her misuse of something an act that should be sacred. What she had done to him was a blight on her soul that would never come off, but perhaps she could lighten the stain at least a little by giving Ruby what she needed so badly.

Overcome by a sudden, unquenchable desire, Regina stepped into the kiss and maneuvered Ruby backward until her back was pressed against the wall next to the bedroom door. She wasted no time in nudging her knee between Ruby's, finding no resistance whatsoever as Ruby spread her legs to accommodate the welcome intrusion. When the flesh of her thigh came flush with Ruby's panties, Regina groaned at the damp cloth she encountered, knowing that if the same were to be done to her, Ruby would discover her to be similarly aroused.

But tonight was not about her, it was about Ruby; it was about giving Ruby something to take her mind off of what had happened to her; it was about proving how much she loved Ruby by submitting herself without being asked.

Breaking the kiss, Regina wasted no time with unnecessary foreplay, deftly working herself to her knees. Judging by the prominent moisture staining the front of Ruby's undergarments and the mewling sound Ruby made when she saw what was about to happen, Regina knew her partner did not need much encouragement, nor would she require much stimulation before reaching orgasm. This was going to be quick, but again, it was what Ruby needed.

Without bothering to ask for permission, Regina reached up and hooked her fingers under the waistband of Ruby's panties and began to tug them down. Ruby responded by shimmying her hips to make them slide off faster, and by the time they were around Ruby's feet, her hips were undulating with anticipation.

"So eager," Regina cooed, dropping her voice an octave – something she knew drove Ruby wild – as she guided Ruby's legs further apart. After hooking one of the exquisitely long appendages over her shoulder to give her better access, she placed a row of wet kisses up a pale inner thigh.

One of Ruby's hands wound in the hair at Regina's temples as the first kiss, and her grip tightened as Regina made her way closer and closer to the spot Ruby most required her attention. When Regina glanced up, she saw that her partner's pupils were blown wide and her breathing was coming in rapid spurts. She chuckled low in her throat, causing Ruby to groan.

"Don't tease me tonight," Ruby then whined, her face a delectable shade of red. "I need you inside me. Please, baby _._ _Please._ "

It was a request Regina was more than happy to oblige. Surging forward, she buried her face into Ruby's most private area, and quickly latched on to the sensitive bundle of nerves just above Ruby's glistening entrance. At the aggressiveness of the action, Ruby's hips bucked forward and she let out a string of expletives that made Regina smile with satisfaction as she rendered a most privileged service to her True Love.

Regina then went to work in earnest, laving with her tongue, sucking gently and then forcefully in turns, nipping with her teeth, and finally climaxing her efforts by plunging two fingers into Ruby's slick and receptive channel. She did not cease her diligent attentions until Ruby reached completion with a strangled cry, her back bowed off the wall and her face turned toward the heavens, split open in rapturous ecstasy. At last spent, Ruby's knees wobbled as her chest heaved with the effort to breathe.

Humming appreciatively, Regina then went about cleaning Ruby up with her tongue, making sure to lap up every last ounce of her lover's tangy sweetness, giving a delighted moan as she made a show of swallowing. Ruby groaned again at the debauched act, but said nothing as Regina then rose, taking Ruby's panties up with her. With a wave of her hand, she replaced the soiled garments with fresh ones, though Ruby seemed to take no notice whatsoever, dazed as she was.

"God, Regina," Ruby panted as Regina came to stand, eyes lidded and still half-rolled into her skull. "Just... _wow._ " A lazy smile streched across her full lips. "Thank you. I needed that."

Regina gazed at Ruby adoringly and then touched their foreheads together. "You are most welcome, my darling."

Her eyes opening in full, Ruby returned Regina's adoration with equal fervor, and to Regina's immense gratification, all evidence of Ruby's post-nightmare anxiety was gone, erased at least for the moment. Ruby then took a long, contented breath, and Regina echoed it.

"Yeah, never gonna get tired of that," Ruby commented after a moment of silence.

Regina pulled away slightly. "You better not," was her clipped response, mocking offense at the very concept Ruby could ever grow tired of her. After all, her skills in bed were unparalleled, or at least they were until she was blessed to experience Ruby's own prodigious talents firsthand.

Ruby smirked impishly. "As if I could. Sad to say, you've ruined me for anyone else."

"Not sad for me," Regina retorted with a sassy grin. "Everything has gone according to plan! I've got you right where I want you. Mine. Forever."

Ruby's eyes gleamed with affection. "Nowhere I'd rather be."

After smoothing a hand through Ruby's hair, Regina joined their hands together, and she suddenly remembered Ruby's earlier request. "So," she switched gears, "would you still like me to play something for you? Or are you sufficiently...relaxed now?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Ruby replied: "Yes, please. I'll never turn down an opportunity to hear you play"

Regina tugged on Ruby's hand and started toward the door. "Very well. Come."

Ruby giggled childishly as she followed along. "I just did, thanks."

Although Regina rolled her eyes, she couldn't hide her grin as she lead them both out of their bedroom. "Smart ass."

Hand in hand, they made their way downstairs and then on into the den where Regina's piano was located. It hadn't been an odd request for Ruby to ask her to play, as it had been a rather frequent occurrence since Ruby discovered that Regina could play, and well – not that Regina was bragging, but 28 years worth of practice had made her a supremely proficient pianist.

After being hounding relentlessly until she caved, Regina treated Ruby to an impromptu concert. She'd chosen a few moody pieces from Chopin, starting with Nocturne Number 1, Opus 9 in B flat minor. Immediately upon finishing that piece, she flowed seamlessly into Number 2, Opus 9 in E Flat major, and then ending with Number 19, Opus 72, Number 1 in E minor. By the time she finished the last piece, Ruby staring in awed reverence, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Chopin has that effect," Regina had said, hands finding their way to her lap where she folded them up nervously. "In my darkest days, these Nocturnes were my outlet. I used to play them for hours, channeling all of my despair into them. They feel different now. More hopeful. I guess because I'm more hopeful."

"Sad or hopeful, that was maybe the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," Ruby replied. "You are absolutely incredible. Thank you for sharing with me."

Regina just smiled gently, shrugging off the praise but blushing all the same. "You're welcome. Perhaps I'll do it again sometime." Ruby's nearly incandescent grin sealed turned the 'perhaps' into a 'definitely'.

Despite the initial annoyance at Ruby's badgering, Regina was ultimately pleased to have started playing again. The last year of the curse and the handful that came after, she had been so busy with Henry and all the drama that transpired in Storybrooke that she had forgotten the comfort, pleasure, and serenity that the music of this world could provide.

The Enchanted Forest was not without music of its own, boasting many instruments that were equivalent or at least very similar to their earthly counterparts. Many composers of renown had lived and died, bequeathing their works upon the civilized realms who were wealthy enough to foster indulgences in the fine arts. Some of the pieces were extraordinary in their beauty and mystical in a quality that music of this world lacked, seeming to have descended from the heavens above to be written delicately upon the air itself.

But Beethoven had not lived in the Old World, nor had Mozart or Bach or Brahms or Rachmaninoff or Chopin or Tchaikovsky or Vivaldi, and the list went on and on. Unlike works from the Enchanted Forest, theirs was visceral and transcendental, born of a world where there was no magic, where everything was done by toil and blood and sweat and tears, and out of which every perfect note had to be wrested away in a titanic struggle of wills between the creativity of a selfishly possessive nature and its fragile human vessels.

To Regina, the music of this world was a haven of rest in a world of turmoil, a refuge in the storm that had seen her through many trials. If she could impart even a smidgeon of that experience to Ruby, well, then she was more than happy to accommodate the few requests Ruby made, and tonight was no different.

Once they had come to stand in front of the piano, Regina pulled out the bench and sat down primly. After positioning herself behind the keyboard, she patted the space next to her indicating that Ruby should join her as per custom. There was just enough room for Ruby to squeeze in without Regina feeling crowded, and once they were both settled, the contact between their bare legs created a warmth that was very pleasing. With eager eyes, Ruby then placed her hands in her lap and patiently waited.

Regina regarded her girlfriend with open affection. "What would you like to hear?"

"Moonlight Sonata please," Ruby whispered, gazing almost bashfully at Regina through her long lashes.

"A fitting request in more ways than one," Regina replied with a sideways grin. Ruby stuck her tongue out at the reference. Regina chuckled at the juvenile gesture, especially because it confirmed that Ruby was indeed feeling better. With a nod, Regina turned her attention to the keyboard. "Very well, my darling. It shall be as you wish."

Extending her arms, she gently touched her fingers to the keys in the correct places and then after a preparatory inhale and exhale, she pressed down. As the introductory notes of the piece sounded through the room, the effects were immediately felt. Beside her, Ruby sighed, closed her eyes, and then rested her head against Regina's shoulder, her posture completely relaxed.

Unaffected by the weight upon on her shoulder, Regina soon lost herself in the rhythm of playing and in the beauty of the melody. As the ebb and flow of the music washed over the room, she felt the nearly imperceptible swaying of Ruby's body follow along with the rhythm of the music.

Regina allowed her own eyes to slip shut, becoming engrossed in the experience of playing such emotionally charged music. Having played this particular piece more times than she could count, she didn't require her vision to play. Beethoven's masterful composition had already seen them through many sleepless nights and would probably have to see them through many more.

Taken in as she was by the atmosphere produced by the melody, when Regina arrived at the last notes of the Sonata, it felt as if she had just begun. And after the piece came to an end and the final notes echoed across the living room, she turned to see Ruby wearing so profound an expression that she was startled.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing at all," Ruby whispered, her eyes wide and glistening. "It's just...this is it. This is the moment. I had planned on making a big – albeit private – gesture, but this is so much more us. It's like it was meant to be."

Regina's brow furrowed as she cocked her head, gazing at Ruby with confusion. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Ruby just sat there for a long moment, looking at Regina like she was preparing the most important words she would ever say. Regina would look back later and laugh at how correct the assessment had been.

"Regina, I love you," Ruby began, her green eyes awash with an emotional gravity that stole Regina's breath away. "I've never loved anyone this way and I never will again. You are my life. I know it's true because when Emma told me something had happened to you, I felt my whole world begin to crumble. Hell, even my wolf felt it. I realized in that moment that I can't and don't ever _want_ to go back to the life I lived before you. I don't want to live in a world where you're not with me, or in which you don't love me."

Regina's her heart began to pound in her chest at the declaration and she had to cover her mouth with her hand to withhold an audible reaction. Suddenly the earlier subtext between Emma and Ruby was made very clear. All of the secrets Ruby had been keeping – which Emma had apparently been privy to – and even the second job Ruby had taken now made so much sense. The dots had finally connected, the jigsaw puzzle was at last put together, and Regina now knew where this was going. She braced herself accordingly.

Along with the awareness that Ruby was actually about to propose, Regina was honestly anticipating a panicked reaction, because two or three years ago, that's exactly what would have happened to her. After her marriage to Leopold, she had learned to associate it with a loss of control, hopelessness, and inescapable darkness. When he died, she had all but sworn off the idea of ever being married again and as such, every time the thought even popped into her mind, cold chills of dread would shoot down her spine.

But tonight, none of those feelings were there. Regina realized that the thought of being a wife to Ruby was not so scary at all. In fact, she could quite easily picture how wonderful it might be because she was already living it in reality. As she had told Emma in the hospital, as far as she was concerned, for all intents and purposes, they were married already.

Her commitment to Ruby was absolute and unshakeable, with deeper and more proven foundations than any other relationship in her life. What they had just gone through only served to deepen that commitment. After all, how was it possible to be more committed to another person than to literally share your heart with them? The answer was simple: it was not possible at all.

Whether a piece of paper said it or not, they were married, they were one of heart and of purpose and of devotion, and the universe itself had sanctified their union by providing for them to live in spite of the cost incurred by their True Love. Outside of the parent/child dynamic, the True Love Regina shared with Ruby was the ultimate bond that is possible for two people to have with one another, proven by the fact that they were bringing two children into the world conceived by out of it.

All of these things added up together to the inevitable conclusion that it was impossible for Regina to be more intertwined with Ruby than she already was. Being married to Ruby would only be an outward expression of what already existed between them at an essential level. That realization helped Regina to set aside the hangups that had long made her wary of marriage, if not for herself, then for the sake of only person in existence with whom she shared her most intimate self.

Regina could also see and sense just how much Ruby wanted this, so who was she to deny the love of her life such a simple request of affirmation? And besides, she trusted Ruby implicitly and that had not been the case with Leopold; to compare the two situations was distasteful to Regina and ultimately unfair to Ruby. Her decision made, warm relief and acceptance spread throughout her entire being.

As her face transformed into an open book of adoration and awe, Ruby gathered her hands between her own, returning Regina's focus to the woman she loved.

Pausing for a moment, Ruby studied her face to gauge her reaction.

"I'm not pressuring you here," she continued a little hesitantly, "I need you to know that. I will gladly take whatever you're willing to offer. Happiness for me is being with you in whatever form that takes, but I want you to know and I _need_ you to understand that you have all of me, every last breath and every last heartbeat, until the day that I die."

Regina saw Ruby take a deep breath and then release it. A content, serene, and fulfilled smile formed on her face.

"I love you, Regina, with all of my heart and with all of my soul. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, I was wondering...will you marry me?"

Regina did not laugh or cry with joy as they did in the movies, but she was nonetheless overcome by emotion. Looking over at her hopeful partner, Regina saw a flash of insecurity register in those pretty green eyes, and she knew she had been silent long enough.

"Ruby..." Regina paused, and she saw Ruby flinch as if anticipating rejection. Wanting to dispel the inaccurate assumption, she pressed on, her tone careful and deliberate. "You know there was once a time I swore off marriage." Ruby nodded and then swallowed heavily. "But there was also a time in which you had sworn off children. The truth is that things change. Circumstances change. People change. I have changed Ruby because you have changed me. You have filled my life with so much joy over these past three years that I can't imagine ever spending another day without you any more than you can without me. So, yes, Ruby. A thousand times, yes. I will marry you. In fact, it would be my honor."

Ruby's eyes widened comically, a confirmation that she had indeed been prepared for rejection on some subconscious level. The thought stung Regina, although she expertly hid her reaction. It hurt to think that Ruby had in any way believed that she would be refused, and Regina wanted very much for Ruby to _never_ feel that way again.

"Are you serious?" Ruby then asked, somewhat timidly. "For real? You really wanna marry me?"

"Of course, you silly woman," Regina replied, confident in her assertion. She allowed a tender smile to overtake her features.

Ruby bit her lip, a tinge of insecurity in her expression. "This isn't just about the babies or about what happened to me is it? 'Cause if it is, I don't want you to feel pressured or anything. Like I said, I'm happy to keep things as they are. As long as we're together, nothing else matters."

"It isn't that," Regina emphatically declared. "I am absolutely certain this is what I want, Ruby. I want to be your wife, and I would love for you to me mine. Nothing would make me more proud."

"Really?" Ruby asked in wonder. "Even more proud than being Queen?"

"Much more," Regina confirmed. "Being Queen was a means to an end for me, Ruby. I never loved the crown so much as it afforded me my vengeance. But you are not a means to end for me. You are an integral part of my happy ending, and I love you as much as it is humanly possible for me to love another person.

"I know that you were worried because I had an awful experience with marriage in the past, but that was because it was forced on me. With you – with us – it's different. I choose you, Ruby, as I will _always_ choose you. That's never going to change. And isn't that what the rings that people give each other in this world symbolize? Eternity. That's how long I want to be with you, and even then, it won't be enough. For me, only forever with you will suffice."

As Regina finished speaking, a beaming smile overtook Ruby's face and she whooped and then lunged in to kiss Regina soundly. After parting, she sprang up from the bench, muttering, "wait here," and then rushed away up the stairs. Not even a minute later, she came bounding back down as quickly as a person could while recovering from such severe wounds as she had sustained.

Once back to the den, Ruby rushed over to the piano bench where Regina still sat waiting and got down on one knee. Her smile was so angelic and blissfully resplendent that it lit up her entire face. Ruby was famous for her smile, but none she had ever worn were as extraordinary as the one she gracing her features at that moment.

"I'm at least going to do this part properly," Ruby then said as she extended her hand out. A small, black jewelry box rested neatly in her palm. With her free hand, she opened the lid, revealing the contents.

Regina gasped. Inside was the most perfect ring she had ever seen, bearing three flawless emerald cut diamonds arranged in a triangle, and which were set on a smoothly polished, white gold band. Considering Ruby's relatively meager salary, even with her working two jobs, Regina was almost cross that she had spent so much. The ring must have cost a relative fortune, and Regina wondered what could have compelled her to make such a lavish purchase when a simple band with a simple stone would have been adequate.

"When I saw this ring, I knew it was the one," Ruby explained with a warm smile, as if reading Regina's mind. "It just captures the person you are. It's simple, yet multifaceted; strong but delicate. There are three stones on a band of white gold because who you are today is an alloy of a broken Queen, the jaded mayor you used to be, and the amazing woman you are now. And while the first captivated me and the second earned my loyalty, the latter...well, she stole my heart away and never gave it back.

"This ring to me was perfect for you, so I just had to get it. The problem was a lack of funds. I didn't have nearly enough saved up at the time to afford it, which is why I had to take the second job. Almost every penny from the Station went towards this ring." She allowed a tender smile to spread over her lips. "And while I admit it came with a lot of hardship, it was worth it to me just to see your face right now."

"It's so beautiful, Ruby," Regina breathed as her gaze alternated between the ring and Ruby's face.

"You like it, then?" Ruby asked with a semi-hesitant smile as she removed the ring from the box and took Regina's left hand in her own.

"It's absolutely gorgeous and so very perfect," Regina nodded, beaming with joy as Ruby slipped the ring on her finger. For a moment, Regina held out her hand and allowed herself to be caught up in the gravity of the moment, since such a perfect one only happened once in a lifetime.

As she studied the ring, how Ruby had described it confirmed to Regina once and for all that the woman she had chosen to spend the rest of her life with was the right one. Ruby knew her down to the her very depths as no one else ever had and still loved her. Even the people closest to Regina tended to lack the daring to dig past the inscrutable veneer of her heavily reinforced armor, but that had never been enough for Ruby, who had not been satisfied until Regina's very soul was bared to her. Even then, Ruby never stopped being interested in discovering something new and instead of being repelled by what she found as most were, her love only flourished. The feeling of being so utterly known and still so thoroughly adored was indescribable; it was an addiction that Regina was never going to be able to kick, nor would she ever desire to.

Suddenly overcome, Regina tore her eyes away from her gorgeous ring. Her eyes shifted immediately to Ruby's lips before turning up to her eyes. "I _really_ need for you to kiss me right now."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Ruby replied, her signature, beaming smile firmly in place.

The very instant their lips met, it was if Regina heard the universe breathe in awe and felt it bow down in reverential acknowledgment of a love that had triumphed over incredible opposition, a love that had even transcended death itself. She knew right then, without a shadow of doubt, that no matter what trials they faced, no matter what obstacles they had to overcome, no matter how many times they argued or got angry with each other or hurt each other, and no matter what enemies may crop up to destroy them or the people and the town that they loved, she and Ruby were going to make it...together.

Fate had inexorably drawn them to each other and destiny had unified them. Even though the price had been a terrible one to pay, in the end it was more than worth it to Regina. If she were required to endure the pains of her childhood and adulthood a hundred times over to have Ruby in her life, she would do it without a second thought. She was meant for Ruby and Ruby for her, and it appeared that even the universe itself was in agreement.

And so, when the famed storybook of Storybrooke was at last closed, the very last word having been written and the writer having laid down his pen forever, nestled prominently its hallowed pages among the many tales of betrayal, of wars, of deception, of heroes and villains, and of True Love, was the story of Regina and Ruby. Theirs was a love for the ages, for it conquered death and pierced the veils of this world, stretching far on into eternity, where they lived happily ever after.

* * *

 **Notes** : I know I'm late. I apologize. I have no excuse. This chapter was a little less uncooperative than the last, but I wanted it to be right because it's the last in the narrative of this story. The next chapter and the epilogue are setup for something else that I may get around to posting should there be enough interest.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this one, particularly the brief love scene, which I blushed to high heaven writing and probably won't be repeating in the future. But after what our girls went through, especially Ruby, I felt I owed them, and you all, my lovely readers, as well.

I will try my best to post the next chapter early to mid next week, but if not, expect it Friday or Saturday and the epilogue the Tuesday after. See you all then!

I know I'm late. I apologize. I have no excuse. This chapter was a little less uncooperative than the last, but I wanted it to be right because it's the last in the narrative of this story. The next chapter and the epilogue are setup for something else that I may get around to posting should there be enough interest.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this one, particularly the brief love scene, which I blushed to high heaven writing and probably won't be repeating in the future. But after what our girls went through, especially Ruby, I felt I owed them, and you all, my lovely readers, as well.

I will try my best to post the next chapter early to mid next week, but if not, expect it Friday or Saturday and the epilogue the Tuesday after. See you all then!

I know I'm late. I apologize. I have no excuse. This chapter was a little less uncooperative than the last, but I wanted it to be right because it's the last in the narrative of this story. The next chapter and the epilogue are setup for something else that I may get around to posting should there be enough interest.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this one, particularly the brief love scene, which I blushed to high heaven writing and probably won't be repeating in the future. But after what our girls went through, especially Ruby, I felt I owed them, and you all, my lovely readers, as well.

I will try my best to post the next chapter early to mid next week, but if not, expect it Friday or Saturday and the epilogue the Tuesday after. See you all then!


	24. Epilogue A: Anniversaries Aren't So Bad

**Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

* * *

 **Chapter 23** – Epilogue A: Anniversaries Aren't So Bad

Five Years Later

Regina took a lengthy, satisfied breath, allowing the fresh summer air to fill her lungs. The day was perfect and clear with nary a cloud in sight, warm but not uncomfortable, and the afternoon sun felt like heaven upon her skin. Feeling incredibly relaxed, she took in the ambient sounds of birds chirping as a gentle breeze stirred through the fully leafed trees, while in the fore, children merrily giggled and shouted along with playful yips and barks.

From the bench she was perched upon, she relished in the view she was presented with, eyes crinkling at the corners with the intensity of her smile. Regina loved to interact with her family, to join in the fun as Ruby chased the kids around the yard or in the park as she was now, but she also delighted in simply observing, in cherishing every moment of happiness she witnessed as she committed them to her remembrance to be replayed over and over again at her leisure. Every such memory she made was a treasure, and there was a wealth of them upon which she could draw to calm her whenever she was stressed out or to encourage her when battling a bout of depression or to rein herself in when she felt the cords holding her temper back beginning to fray. They were her touchstone, her emotional totem that gave her the strength to get through even the most trying day.

At least ten minutes passed as she watched and laughed and grinned at her spouse and their brood before she smoothed a hand down the skirt of her lavender sundress and then glanced at her watch. Noting that it was nearly 5 pm, she realized she would soon need to wrangle her wife and children against their protests in order to get them home and feed them before the party.

Today was her 4th wedding anniversary, and even though Regina was not much of a party person, the people who loved her – in particular Snow, who seemed to be hit by the party bug of late – had insisted on commemorating the occasion. As might be expected, Ruby was an easy sell, but it took some convincing on Regina's part before she acquiesced, and then she'd only done so on the condition the event was kept small and held in the comforting confines of her home. Even so, she found herself quite looking forward to it.

It was strange for her to be anxious to celebrate an anniversary considering nearly every other major one in her life was tainted by tragedy, pain, or suffering. Regina had few good memories of major life events most recognized as important enough to memorialize. Her mother had seen to that.

She'd passed almost all of her birthdays as if they were any other ordinary day, as she was never permitted to observe them the way her peers did. Her mother disapproved of any such frivolous festivities, saying they were distractions to what really mattered in life. There was no time for Regina to have a childhood when she was being groomed to become a Queen. Only her father's secret gifts, marked the day in which she had become another year older.

After becoming Queen, Leopold and Snow threw her birthday parties, but they were never about Regina insomuch as her genuine happiness was being considered. They certainly smothered her with gifts, but Snow gave out of a selfish attempt to earn Regina's approval and Leopold gave because it was what was expected of him. Neither loved her for who she was, only what she represented to them, a replacement mother and a stand-in wife whose usefulness was negligible beyond looking pretty and not protesting too much as her dignity was taken away from her one day at a time.

When she finally rid herself of Leopold and Snow, she attempted to celebrate one birthday, and that had only been at her father's insistence. But as per usual, her mother showed up to ruin things, and oh what a price her father had paid for it. It took Regina months to arrange a trip to Wonderland to retrieve the box she'd stored her shrunken father into, and after that, she never celebrated her birthday again.

And then there was the anniversary of the day she'd received Rocinante, which should have been something to fondly recall considering how much she adored him. Rocinante had been Regina's outlet from the isolated misery of her youth. On his back, she learned how to fly, to savor the freedom of open skies and green grass and the wind whipping about her face, and to appreciate life one breath at a time. For all of his life, Rocinante was Regina's best friend and most loyal companion, but the memory of him was marred by associations with his futile death and with Daniel, who had so patiently and lovingly taught Regina to ride her beloved horse with the skill of a competitive equestrian.

In turn, memories of Daniel, bittersweet as they were, inevitably evoked recollections of his horrifying death, which had changed her life so much for the worse. Losing Daniel still haunted Regina, even so far removed from it happening, so that she still suffered through a rare night in which she woke up shouting his name after reliving his death in her dreams. And whenever she dared to return her active mind back to that moment, she could still hear the squelch of her mother's hand piercing his chest, his horrified gasp of pain as his heart was wrenched free, and she could still smell the ashy dust of what remained of the organ that she had once set her own heartbeat to. To avoid these things, she found it best not think about him at all if she could help it.

But the worst anniversary of all was that of her first marriage. For many, their wedding day was the greatest day of their lives, but for Regina it was an incredibly sensitive subject that she loathed to recall. She dreaded it every time it rolled around, anticipation of it coiling her up into a tight ball of tension for days ahead of the actual date, and upon it dawning, she had to keep herself busy lest she be reminded of how helpless and hopeless she'd felt as she walked down the aisle.

The dress she'd been stuffed into cost more gold to produce than most peasants would see in two lifetimes, and though her mother had gushed over its beauty, it had suffocated Regina so that she could hardly breathe. Then as she rounded the corner of the sanctuary, she had caught a glimpse of the glow set upon Snow White's pristine face; it enraged her nearly beyond her ability to see straight knowing that child would be a permanent fixture in her life for the rest of her days. How she made it down the aisle at all without losing her damn mind was wholly due to her father's gentle guidance. But upon her hand being placed in Leopold's, the finality of the moment hit her, and her stomach turned sour. She had realized with a horror that rattled her to the core that she was going to have to give herself to a man three times her age after having just buried the man she truly loved. It was all so intolerable that tears had leaked from her eyes, tears that everyone else but her father mistook for those of joy.

The grand reception that followed was no less harrowing for her as the new Queen. She'd been expected to dance with the King until her feet ached and then mingle with the gaudy nobles who comprised the King's cabinet and chit-chat with their equally vacuous wives, all the while having to force herself not to scream out her agonies into their pretentious faces – that or claw them off and watch with satisfaction as their blood stained the ground. She'd managed to fall back on her countless years of heavy-handed instruction and awe them with her charm and wit, but internally she'd been murdering them slowly, one at a time, reveling in every grim scenario she conjured.

And then there was her wedding night, when her worst fears came to fruition and she was gripped by a dread that refused to relinquish its hold on her as her clothes were peeled from her body by grubby hands and her virtue was taken from her along with any innocence or goodness that was left inside of her heart after Daniel's murder. That night was the source of most of Regina's nightmares, and when it visited her in her dreams, she often woke in a cold sweat, panting and screaming in a way that frightened her so badly that she scared Ruby as well.

All of this meant that for much her of life, Regina did not put much stock into anniversaries, preferring to forget her past as much as was feasible rather than suffer through reliving it. She had come to believe that the past was best left in the past lest it be utilized for motivation to fuel her hatred of Snow. But that began to change after Henry came into her life, and it changed even more with Ruby.

With Ruby there were dozens of firsts that Regina had consecrated in her memory, from their first date, to their first kiss, to the first time the made love and they first time they exchanged "I love you's". Even memories of the day she'd been stabbed had positive connotations, for it was also the day she had discovered through the revelation of their pregnancies and through the incredible experience of sharing her heart with Ruby just how essential Ruby had become to her.

Regina had changed, not only because of her own desire to be a better person, but because of Ruby's presence in her life, and because of her daughters and the life they were so blessed to enjoy as a family. So many things had transpired to bring her to this moment, to transform her into the better version of herself she had once all but given up on; and while many of them too painful to adequately express, no matter how much she had suffered in the past, she could not regret anything that happened to lead her to the present. Her family, in the end, was worth every tear she'd shed, and every sorrow she'd become mired in, from the loss of Daniel, to the passive-aggressive abuse she'd endured at the hands of Leopold, to her precipitous fall into the darkest habitations of evil.

Life for Regina was no longer an unbearable stalemate of stops and starts, but was settled at long last and oh-so-extraordinarily good. It was more than she had ever hoped or dreamed it could be, and much better than she deserved. In fact, if anyone were to ask her, she could honestly tell them that she considered her life to be as perfect as was possible in so imperfect a world.

Who else could say they had what she did? She had a successful and fulfilling career as mayor, was well-respect if not feared by her constituents, and was quite wealthy, not on in financial terms but in terms of her personal life as well. Her handsome son, so wise and kind and mature in nature, was set to enter Harvard Law School in the fall. And then there were her two gorgeous, precocious, and rambunctious daughters who made her feel so full to overflowing that sometimes she would just stare at them as they slept through tears of overabundant happiness. She also had a large and loving, though sometimes overbearing, extended family, the members of which had long since earned their place in her life with their adversity-reinforced loyalty and affection.

The substance of it all, however, was Ruby, the woman she had pledged her eternal life to. As they had said their vows, Regina could remember feeling the slightest bit of nervousness as to whether she had made the right decision – in the heat of the moment she had been afraid that marriage would change their relationship, sour it in reference to her first experience with matrimony, but her concerns turned out to have been built on a faulty foundation. Marrying Ruby was without a doubt one of the best things Regina had ever done, for Ruby lived to stand in contrast to Leopold as quite literally the most wonderful spouse on earth, proving through countless acts of devotion that a marriage could last if two people were devoted to one another and willing to work through the hardships that inevitable cropped up. With Ruby, Regina had discovered that marriage was complicated but satisfying, that it had its ups and downs, could be frustrating and trying, but at the same time everything that books, and songs, and movies proclaimed it could be and more.

On the whole Regina considered her life to be pretty extraordinary. But during moments when she felt like she was taking the gifts she'd been given for granted, she would sit at her desk or on the couch at home and flip through her wedding or family albums in an effort to remind herself just how fortunate she was. Sometimes it was easy to forget that most villains in the fairy tales wound up either dead or imprisoned, relegated to the footnotes of history as the heroes took their place of prominence, and she was not so conceited as to be unaware she had rightfully merited either option. To keep herself grounded, she never forgot where she had come from, but she would also relive the happy moments captured for posterity in her photo albums, for they never failed to reaffirm the awesome responsibility she shouldered to have been entrusted with so much love. Her family was her everything, and she would never allow anything to usurp their place, nor would she permit herself to forget how incalculably precious they were.

Basking in the loveliness and serenity of the day and now totally relaxed, Regina allowed her thoughts to turn reflective about the past several years of her life. Her reminiscing began with Henry, and when she thought of her son, the image of the chubby, affectionate baby he had once been warred with the reality of who he had become. No longer was Henry a child who needed her constant attention, and no longer was he a young boy who was struggling to adapt to the complexities of his messy family. Now, he was a confident, intelligent, and ambitious young man who knew what he wanted out of life and was pursuing it with his utmost zeal.

Henry had really come into his own with very few bumps in the road along the way. As he was going through high school, Regina had waited with trepidatious anticipation for the arrival of an inevitable teenage crisis, but much to her surprise, none ever came. He smoothly navigated the troublesome waters of both high school and the very stressful transition from an awkwardly budding teen into a young adult. That isn't to say he was without fault, though, because Henry was still stubborn and could be impulsive to his own detriment, but as if to offset those traits, he had also grown more conscientious and thoughtful.

All in all, Regina was so very proud of her son, and seeing as he had gone on to graduate as class president and valedictorian, she had thought it impossible for her to be any more proud of him than she already was. But when he announced that he had chosen to major in history with the intention of applying to law school at Harvard post-grad, she had proceeded to strut around town in a very ostentatious manner, much like she had in the early days of the Curse. Of course, as any good mother should, she made doubly sure that everyone who mattered was informed of the fact that her boy had chosen to follow in her footsteps (her law degree was technically obtained magically, but such details didn't count to Regina since the knowledge was still there).

Both Henry and Ruby had admonished her for such childish behavior, but their efforts had been halfhearted at best. Ruby in particular had been very understanding, because to be honest, Regina knew she was almost as proud of Henry as she was. And then there was Henry himself, who had seemed, quite in spite of his protests, to relish being the sole source of his mother's brazen satisfaction.

Overall, that entire summer after Henry's graduation had been a wonderful time for the Mills clan. They were already a tightly knit family, but knowing that Henry was soon to leave had inspired them to make the most of their limited time remaining to be together. To that end, they decided to stop putting off some of the things they had been wanting to do and just did them.

The biggest adventure had been a week long family vacation to Menorca, which is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean, off the eastern coast of Spain. In a very fortuitous bit of happenstance, it just so happened that their trip coincided with the _Festes de Sant Joan de Ciutadella_ , so they got to witness some of the festivities such as the _Caracol des Borns_ , a magnificent horse parade that happens on June 23rd. The next day, they attended the _Jocs des Pla_ , which had been Regina's personal favorite. Watching the horsemanship on display during those medieval style events had brought back many fond memories of her days learning to perform more advanced maneuvers under her father's watchful eye and Daniel's expert instruction.

At Ruby's request, they had also spent a day at Cala Mitjaneta, a cove on the southern side of the island whose clear blue water was nearly the shade of the summer sky overhead. Seeing as Zelena had kindly prepared a glamor necklace for Ruby to hide her stubbornly remaining scars, Ruby had elected to wear a barely there red bikini, which garnered several stray glances of appreciation from the other beach goers and was very distracting for Regina. Though she knew her own more reserved white two piece was eliciting a very similar response in her wife, seeing so many lustful eyes directed at Ruby sparked Regina's possessive nature. Dealing with both a rising jealousy over the attention Ruby was attracting and her growing desire to ravish her wife required a great deal of self-control on Regina's part, especially since Ruby was egging her on by being her naturally sensual self and by purposefully batting her eyelashes and casting amorous stares at Regina over her sunglasses. But as a dutiful mother, she set aside those amorous feelings and focused on the kids. After hours of swimming and lounging in the sun, they toured that part of the island and were able to visit some of the Bronze Age ruins, which had been quite fascinating. To be sure, Regina did not forget the torment Ruby put her through, and made sure punish her later that night when they got a few minutes of alone time – of course, the term 'punishment' was subjective, and Ruby had learned to enjoy her methods of administration.

It had almost been sad to fly back home after the week was over, but the memories they made would last a lifetime. Regina would always be able to picture Henry laughing with one of the young _cavallers_ , who was regaling him with a story of how he once fell from his horse face first into a fresh pile of manure. And she could never forget the girls' reactions when they tried authentic Spanish churros and hot chocolate. Amelia's wide eyed expression was a mixture of ecstasy and awe as she bit into her deep fried treat, and after one sip from her cup, Sophia had looked right at Regina and exclaimed, "Mommy, that's amaaaaaazing!" Everyone in the restaurant was either laughing or grinning at the two precious children, their mothers and brother included. And last, but certainly not least, Regina would forever be able to picture Ruby standing in the fading light of sunset at the _Castell de Sant Nicolau_ as the gentle summer wind brushed through her hair and the last burnt orange glints of light caught in her green eyes. In that moment, Regina fell in love with her wife all over again.

But the memories did not end with the trip to Spain. Near the tail end of summer, the family went to Boston for an extended weekend. While there, they toured the campus of Harvard to familiarize Henry with his new school, visited the Institute of Contemporary Art so that Regina could instill some culture into her wife and children and Emma Swan (who had accompanied them), walked parts of the Freedom Trail, and they even caught 2 Red Sox games, one on a Friday night and the other a Sunday matinee. Regina had never really understood the appeal of this world's sports, but she could at least appreciate the more cerebral aspects of the game they attended. Mostly, though, she'd just soaked up how everyone seated around her went gaga over her infant daughters, and she'd especially enjoyed observing Henry, Ruby, and Emma – who was the most vocal and animated of the three – in their element. It had amused her to no end to witness three adults completely lose their minds as they argued balls and strikes like their opinions mattered to the umpires, or booed in a puerile attempt to effect the performance of opposing players, or when riotously cheering after the home team scored a run.

Having felt generous at the time, Regina had invited Emma to tag along. She'd figured that since Emma was Henry's mother, too, it would do the woman good to spend some quality time with him away from Storybrooke. It wound up being a very good decision. Emma Swan was a fun person to be around when she was out from under her burdensome responsibilities, as was made readily apparent by her behavior during the baseball games. On Monday, Emma volunteered to give everyone on a tour of some of her "reputable" haunts, which had included the restaurant where she worked her last bounty job on her 28th birthday. There, Emma treated everyone to lunch and regaled them with her antics as a bail bondsperson. Several times she had Ruby and Henry in stitches, and even Regina found herself laughing along with some of Emma's more absurd tales.

Being in such an environment with Emma, seeing her so buoyant as she joked around with Henry and Ruby and made faces at the two babies that already adored her, made Regina realize how heavy a weight being the Savior really was. She'd always appreciated Emma's sacrifices, but never been given the opportunity to see the kind of person Emma might have become had her life not been ruined by Regina's pointless vendetta against Emma's mother. With the new perspective came a fresh wave of guilt, but when Emma caught her eyes, forgiveness and acceptance shining in them as she shook her head knowingly, that guilt fled away.

After leaving the restaurant, Emma lead them to the flat that she was living in when Henry had come to find her. It had been surreal standing in front of the same door a 10 year old Henry had and watch him knock upon it once more, no longer that intrepid young boy on the adventure of a lifetime but a young man who was about to embark on his own into the world. It was an emotional moment, not only for Regina, but for Henry and Emma as well. Fortunately for them, the occupant of the apartment who answered the door, a very nice 20-something lawyer named Diane, was gracious enough to allow them access after hearing their reason for the visit. The young woman had even made everyone tea while Emma recounted the tale of that day. By the time they walked out of the apartment an hour later, everyone was in tears, including Diane.

But all too soon, that trip was over as well, and not long after that, the day of Henry's departure for college arrived. Because Henry insisted on making the journey himself from Storybrooke to Boston, the entire day had been nerve wracking for Regina. That morning, she'd paced the floor of her bedroom until Ruby eventually calmed her down by reminding her that she had two other children who needed some attention from their Mommy before they went to spend a few hours with their great-grandmother so their mothers could see their brother off to college.

But then she'd watched Henry say goodbye to his infant sisters, and it hit home in earnest that Henry would be gone in a matter of hours. There would be no more coming home to him tickling his baby sisters to their squeals of delight, and there would be no more hugs from strong arms that she had come to rely on as a source of strength and comfort when she was overwrought. No more would she come downstairs to find Henry and Ruby locked in mortal combat on the television screen as they taunted one another jokingly and then celebrated a win in an exaggerated fashion as the other one laughed. Her little boy was about to leave home, and it had nearly brought Regina to her knees.

The only reason she didn't dissolve into a puddle of misery was because she had wanted the last image Henry saw as he drove away from home to a positive one: that of his proud, happy parents smiling and waving as he pulled out of the driveway and then made his way down Mifflin Street to visit Emma and the Charmings before heading out of town. Somehow, she scraped together the fortitude to make it through packing his things into her vintage Mercedes that she had given him as a graduation gift, although she nearly lost it several times as they exchanged their goodbyes and their last hugs and kisses and she made him promise to call and to eat enough and to make friends and to not worry about her or Ruby or his sisters. But the second his car vanished out of sight, Regina collapsed against her wife and cried.

Four years had passed since then – Henry had since graduated with his B.A. in history in the spring – and Regina still missed her son, still lamented him being so far away from her on an almost daily basis. Had it not been for Henry's dutiful efforts to maintain a persistent link to home by calling daily and coming home as often as he could, the separation would have grieved her endlessly.

The only silver lining was that Regina was not allowed much time for self-pity. She hadn't been afforded the luxury of isolating herself as she might have had she been alone, not when she had a wife who worried about her and two precious but demanding babies that tended to monopolize almost all of her spare time. Not that she was complaining, of course; her girls were her dual sources of year-round sunshine.

Amelia Isabella and Sophia Anne Mills had been born on the same day and only ten minutes apart to boot, and that their births were so close together astonished Victor Whale. Seeing as they were born to different mothers whose ages were not exactly close together, he had expected for there to be a significant gap, perhaps days if not weeks, between Ruby and Regina going into labor. But Victor had been in for a surprise.

The day Amelia and Sophia were born was a memorable one for everyone involved. For about eight hours there had been absolute pandemonium in the hospital. Neither Regina nor Ruby could bear being separated from the other, so they 'convinced' Victor – mainly via Regina's half-serious threats of violence – into allowing them to deliver in the same room. One fiery and stubborn alpha female giving birth was bound to be adventure enough, but two was a completely different story considering one of them was caustic and hateful by nature and the other insisted on having a natural birth without involving drugs just because, ' _my mother and grandmother did just fine without them thank you very much, and besides that, werewolves have high pain thresholds_ ' (come to find out, the pains of labor were not to be found upon the list of things werewolf toughness covered).

Labor was intensive for both women for varying reasons, but upon being presented with two perfectly healthy babies, the unending discomfort and the blistering pain were made well worth it, just as Granny had insisted would be true. Ruby, ever the ultimate competitor, had given birth to Amelia first, but Regina did not have to wait long for her moment to come, as by the time the nurses had cleaned Amelia off and seen to Ruby, Sophia had been born. After both wailing babies were ready to be held, Regina took Amelia and Ruby was handed Sophia, as per their wishes.

It was Regina's suggestion that they swap them that way, rationalizing that since she had spent 9 months carrying Sophia in her own body, she felt like she already knew her, like Sophia was already a part of her, but she didn't have that connection yet with Amelia. The reverse, Ruby admitted, was true for her, and thus their decision to bond first with the child their spouse had given birth to. It was an unconventional thing to do, but then again, they were an unconventional family.

Regina could still remember the moment the nurses laid Amelia in her arms and she held her utterly gorgeous daughter for the first time. She'd become so overcome by emotion that for a time, she forgot about everything else in the world, her focus narrowed down to 21 inches and 7.8 pounds of pink skin, blue eyes, and downy hair. She just sat there smiling and crying as she cooed at her beautiful baby girl, issuing promises of eternal love and protection that she meant with every fiber of her being. Holding Sophia produced feelings every bit as intense, and it was only once the nurses took the babies back to the nursery that Regina allowed herself to rest. It was, all things considered, the best day of her life.

Over the years since then, it had struck Regina several times as to just how strange that day had been due to the unorthodox method of conception and the absurd timing of the births. The wonderful oddity of it all was only increased by the fact that the girls did not turn out anything as Regina had expected in terms of how they would look. She had quite honestly expected both of them to favor her due to her more dominant genes, although she had hoped they would wind up a nice mix of their two mothers. However, neither was the case at all, which was being made more and more evident as time passed and the girls grew up.

At nearly four years old, Amelia, whose was born to Ruby, was Regina's spitting image down to the jet black hair, prominent jaw, dark brown eyes, and light olive skin tone. On the other hand, Sophia, who Regina had given birth to, favored Ruby heavily with her brown hair, megawatt smile, big green eyes, and pale skin. Family members loved to tease the couple about baby mix-ups to this day, but neither Regina nor Ruby paid them any heed. To them, expectations aside, Amelia and Sophia were perfect. Still, in a perfectly humorous summation of how unanticipated the girls' appearances turned out to be, Granny one day joked upon the Mills clan entering the diner: _"_ _H_ _ow'd you two manage to get 'em backwards?_ "

As far as the unconventional circumstances of their birth, Regina and Ruby had decided to simply refer to the girls as twins to those not in the know, particularly since it was very close to the truth. In the most extreme of technicalities, they were fraternal twins...just born to different mothers. People were curious by nature and, with the biological relationship between Regina and Ruby and their daughters not in question due to resemblance, were bound to question the particulars. It really wasn't anyones business in the first place, but the danger was that if people figured out the truth, more couples who shared True Love might attempt to recreate the circumstances surrounding Regina and Ruby conceiving their daughters. Knowing what they did about the price that would be incurred, they that could not permit the truth to be widely published. Everyone who knew the truth had therefore been sworn to secrecy.

In the same vein, it had also been agreed upon that when the girls were old enough to understand what had happened, she and Ruby would sit them down to explain it to them. Until that day, however, they decided to raise their daughters as normally as possible.

Regina, for her part, relished every moment of being a mother again. Being not so far removed from raising Henry as to have forgotten how to take care of a baby, she hadn't been nervous at all, and she slipped effortlessly back into the role. Ruby, on the other hand, had worried almost the entirety of her pregnancy about whether or not she was equipped to be a mother. Dealing with Ruby's hormonal insecurities had not been easy for an equally hormonal Regina, but she'd understood where it was coming from.

Ruby's own mother had abandoned her, and while Granny had done her best, the woman was by no means a picture of idyllic motherhood. Eventually and with much patience, Regina managed to convince her then-betrothed to accept that becoming a mother for the first time wasn't something anyone could truly be ready for, and that she herself had struggled with the same issues but overcame them because her love for Henry had usurped her mother's pitiful example. There were missteps along the way, and Ruby had to make some adjustments to her life during Wolf's Time, but other than that, she proved all her worrying had been for naught by taking to motherhood like a duck to water.

It seemed like just yesterday that the girls had needed them 24/7. Now, they were nearly four and growing like weeds. Their unique personalities were beginning to emerge more fully, and with them came all kinds of little assertions of independence. It made Regina a little sad to think that the days were numbered in which her daughters would require her full attention. Yet, that was just a part of life. Kids grew up whether their parents wanted them to or not.

Having already raised Henry and endured the pain of letting him go, Regina knew how difficult it was. She knew the pain of waiting on his regularly scheduled call for Mommy to come play before bedtime only for it to never come again, and she had lived through the loneliness which came along with evenings left to her own devices because her child was now entertaining himself by reading or building Lego forts without need for her aid. She had raised her son all by herself, and that without anyone at her side to help her through the stressful transition of his attention being torn away by things that were not the mother who had invested almost all of herself in him. But she was not alone anymore. With Ruby by her side, she would make it through again, albeit with many bitter tears.

Speaking of her wife, it was at Ruby's request that they were at the park today, as she had suggested to Regina that they take the girls out for some fun on their anniversary. When Regina had looked at her curiously, Ruby had explained that she wanted to run around in her wolf form and play with the kids for a while before the party that evening. The park was the only family friendly place big enough for her to feel the freedom to truly enjoy herself, which is why Regina had agreed. Well, that, and she also loved to watch the girls interact with Ruby's alter ego, for they seemed to be able to bring out a playfulness in the wolf that no one else could.

That Ruby, and the general public, felt safe enough for her to parade around the park as the wolf was proof of how accepted she was and how comfortable she had become with that aspect of herself. No longer did she fear losing control and going on a rampage, even under adverse circumstances, which made Regina very happy, indeed, if only because there would be no more incidents like the one that landed Ruby in the clutches of a lunatic and murderous lumberjack.

For a long time, even after they got together, Ruby struggled to truly embrace her alternate side. Even though Charming had helped Ruby to regain control of the wolf months before, Regina had kept trying to get Ruby to see that control and acceptance were two totally different things. It's why she had made a concerted effort to encourage Ruby to embrace that side of herself, not only because she accepted it and loved it for what it was, but because Ruby needed to as well if she was ever going to know true freedom as the wolf.

The tragedy of what happened to Ruby in Joshua Woods' basement only served as the proof Regina needed to drive the point home. After that, Ruby got serious about connecting with her lupine self. To that end, after the girls were born and they were married, Regina encouraged her new wife to seek out Mulan to teach her how to meditate so she could tap into her wolfen instincts at any time. At the same time, Regina used some of their free time when the girls were napping to personally push Ruby by testing the boundaries of her abilities both in her human skin and in her fur. To accomplish that, she conjured up obstacles for Ruby overcome, traps for her to evade, and magical simulacrum soldiers for her to fight; and she helped to sharpen Ruby's senses by concealing objects with magic and teaching Ruby to detect the energies by smell.

In the past few years, Ruby had excelled in her progress, and it showed in unexpected ways. Foremost among them was the alarming growth spurt the wolf had undergone. As the wolf, Ruby had been enormous already when Regina first encountered her on that mountain pass so long ago, and was far larger at that time than any canid creature Regina had ever seen. But now Ruby measured nearly five feet tall to the top of her head on all fours. She was massive and majestic and absolutely gorgeous. It was fascinating to watch her run, to witness the power in those muscles as her paws dug into the earth, pushing her to sprint faster than she ever had before, and it was even more delightful to see her playing so freely with their children as she was at that moment.

It was with much amusement then that Regina watched Ruby tackle a squealing Sophia and then began to ferociously lick their brunette daughter's face as Amelia clung to her back via tightly gripped handfuls of fur. Regina laughed when Sophia started cackling gleefully under the unrelenting assault.

"Quite a sight," Rumplestiltskin's familiar brogue sounded from behind Regina, startling her out of her reverie. "Did I miss the announcement in the paper that today is officially 'Bark in the Park' day?"

"What the hell, Rumple?" she hissed, clutching her hand over her heart in her surprise.

"My apologies, I didn't intend to startle you," he smiled crookedly. Regina knew he was lying. That had been exactly what he intended and he enjoyed every second of it. He gestured to the bench with his cane. "May I sit?"

"I suppose," Regina agreed cautiously. When he had sat down with his cane in front of him and both hands resting atop its adorned knob, she turned on him with glare. She hadn't missed the dig at Ruby. "By the way, even though that was a pitiful attempt at an insult on your part, I don't appreciate you mocking my wife in such a way. Don't do it again. Understood?" When he tilted his head and raised an unrepentant brow, she sighed. "So, what do you want?"

Rumple had the audacity to look offended. "Why, can't I just have been out for a leisurely stroll, chanced upon your little family outing, and then decided to say hello?"

"No, you can't have been," she replied with a frown. "We both know you don't ever do anything so whimsical. You came here because you knew I would be here. You sought me out because you want something from me – so what is it?"

With his pretense blown, his dark eyes lost some of their wickedly playful edge. "Just a moment of your time is all. But first, may I be so bold as to ask you an unrelated question?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina sighed again. "I know I'll regret this, but go ahead."

Fixing his eyes on her, Regina saw more sincere affection in them than she had ever seen when directed at her. It took her aback quite a bit. Since he had helped heal her and advised her on some matters concerning Ruby, Regina had afforded Rumple a lot of leeway, but their relationship still remained somewhat strained and distrustful. To see his eyes almost tenderly regarding her was both suspicious and disconcerting.

Nodding once, he turned to watch Ruby play with their daughters, his expression revealing a distant, far off contemplation. "Did you ever think it possible for either of us to arrive here?"

"I certainly did. It wasn't very difficult considering we drove here in a matter of minutes," Regina retorted, still watching him carefully. She knew what he meant but was being purposefully obtuse in order to make him to spell it out. When Rumple huffed in displeasure, Regina smirked. "If that is not what you are referring to, however, I suppose you'll have to define 'here'."

"Happy, truly happy," he answered simply, turning back to briefly look at Regina with unreadable eyes before going back to watching her family frolic about in the near distance.

Regina sat back, a bit startled by the question. She didn't know where this sentimentality was coming from, but she was more than a little confused by it, and it made her quite uncomfortable.

After taking a moment to contemplate what he had asked, she responded. "Do you want an honest answer to that question?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't," he replied evenly, seemingly unperturbed by her having answered his question with a question of her own. Strange indeed.

Regina took a deep breath and then decided to humor him. "Well, then..." she turned to look out at her family, playing in the near distance, both girls now perched upon Ruby's back, laughing and screaming with delight as she romped around the grassy meadow.

After a brief pause, she said, "No, I didn't think it possible." Such a succinct answer being unacceptable for her old mentor, and not feeling up to prolonging the encounter by being difficult, she drew in a deep breath and then elaborated. "Once Daniel died, I knew that happiness was at best a distant hope for me. I tried to revive him because I couldn't stand to let him go, but the longer things went, the more I realized that my efforts were in vain. I was just too far gone to admit it. So when you offered me an outlet for my hopelessness, I took it.

"The curse was a last ditch effort for me. When it turned out to be less of a triumph than I had imagined, I came to fully understand that true happiness was not in the cards for me. I knew then that I would have to find contentment where I could."

At her answer, Rumple turned back to her and studied her intently. "Your reasoning is sound," he replied, "but I am more curious as to the underlying cause for your belief that happiness was, as you said in a manner of speaking, an impossibility."

Regina pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, knowing exactly what it was he wanted her to admit. The point he was hinting at stirred up some deeply buried emotions that she had wanted to believe herself long over, but apparently she was not quite so cured of her insecurities as she had hoped.

For a moment, Regina wrestled with whether or not to indulge Rumple's whims on such a special day, but upon meeting his eyes again, she saw no hint of an ulterior motive. Instead, there was only a surprising amount of interest in her answer. Since she knew he was already aware of what the answer was, Regina found it unsettling that he seemed to need her so badly to say it aloud.

Breathing deeply, she pinched the bridge of her nose and then leaned against the back of the bench. She then surprised herself by humoring him once again.

"I didn't believe I would ever find happiness because I was unworthy of it. Sometimes I still think I am," she admitted, her voice strained with an unexpected amount of pain. As she looked out over the field at her wife and children playing together, she felt that unworthiness down to the marrow of her bones. And as she continued to speak, she was no longer addressing her former mentor, but herself, summing up the lessons she had learned so that she could remember them and embrace them anew.

"I wake up every morning," she said in a far off voice, "not understanding what I did to deserve my son and those three people out there. They have brought me so much joy that I've almost forgotten what it was like to be that wretched woman I once was. And while I often question my worthiness of them, I'm not about to complain about receiving such priceless gifts. Instead, I have learned to cherish them every day, to try my very best to never take them for granted. Sometimes I fail in that, but when I do they forgive me and pick me up.

"You see, _that_ is what love is. It isn't about worthiness. It doesn't need a reason to be. It just is. Love is wild and free and untamable. It is able to see what the eye cannot, perceive what the mind cannot, and hear what the ear cannot. It is the only force in the universe that can do the impossible. To define it or categorize it or assign it human value is to diminish if not outright nullify its miraculous nature.

"The greatest lesson I ever learned from Ruby is that to be worthy of love, one has only to accept what is already freely being offered, and that it's not the recipient of love who determines worthiness, but the one who is giving it. For whatever reason, and God only knows what that is, she believes me to be worthy of her love, and in the end that is all that matters. Whether I agree or not, that she believes it makes it true, because True Love like hers is pure and selfless. It justifies sinners, pardons the criminal, and redeems the guilty. As one of the most prodigious villains to ever live, that was a concept I struggled with for some time, but I like to believe I've come to a place of peace with it, a place where I can fully appreciate what I've been afforded. So while it is true that once upon a time, I _was_ unworthy, she has _made_ _me worthy_ , and so have they."

She turned back to Rumple, finding him staring at her in awe. Uncomfortable, she shifted her position, recrossing her legs. "Does that answer your question?"

Rumple licked his lips and nodded, his eyes mirroring her own. "It does. If it helps, you are not alone in having occasional doubts. I still find myself feeling shamed for being loved by so perfect a creature as Belle, as well as for many of my...unsavory deeds."

"It doesn't help at all," she bit out, unable to help herself. "You share in the blame for the person I became since you so proudly played a starring role in the production of the Evil Queen."

"Indeed, I did," he admitted with deep sadness. "I would apologize for what I did to you but the words would be as empty as if you apologized for casting the Curse. We both did what we did for our own reasons, Regina. As much as I should, I don't regret my choices. I would have done anything and sacrificed anyone to get my boy back. But...the one thing I do regret is that it had to be you."

Regina rolled her eyes and scoffed. To anyone else, such an admission might have helped to dull the edges of such bitter memories, but to her, it just felt as empty as Rumple said it would. And while she would be justified in begrudging his role in her downfall, she had long ago reconciled herself to what had happened, even coming to a place where she could accept her own part in becoming the Queen. Unable to wholly blame Rumple for her past, she decided to try to let it go once and for all.

"Just as well it was me as anyone else I suppose," she finally replied, shrugging in acceptance. "I was already broken by the time you got hold of me, so it didn't take very much convincing on your part to sway me, did it? The fact is, my mother had already made the field fertile and sewn it aplenty long before you came into my life. After that, all that was left for you was to water, wait, and reap the abundant harvest."

"Even so, I wish things could have been different," Rumple commented, looking at Regina with striking honesty. "We've come a long way since we were teacher and student, but there is still tension and distrust between us that I wish weren't there. I know I can't change the past, Regina, but I would like to hope there might be a future where things are more...amicable."

Taking a deep breath, Regina smoothed down the wrinkles in her dress as she battled with her less forgiving side. "Part of me wants to simply damn you to hell for all eternity, but I acknowledge that in doing so, I would only be damning myself right along with you." At last she allowed her expression to at least marginally soften. "I agree that things need to change. After all, you've given me no reason to believe you're being disingenuous. You've been nothing but kind to my daughters and you're a good grandfather to Henry. And besides the snide comments, you treat Ruby respectfully, so while I can't promise anything, I'm willing to try if you are."

With a hesitant smile, Rumple nodded. "I am, and I thank you for the opportunity."

"Don't thank me yet, Rumple," Regina said, smirking. "I'm still me, you know, and I am a hard woman to please and can hold a grudge like no one else."

"That I know very well," he answered with a rueful grin. "But while I've got you in such a lenient mood, I need you to do one thing for me before I leave you be. You have every right to refuse, but I'm asking you anyway in the hopes that you'll indulge your mentor one last time."

"You haven't been my mentor in a long time, Rumple," Regina stated a bit coldly, assuming he had some kind of ulterior motive as he always did out of habit; and although their detente had yet to fully settle in for her, she smothered her suspicions. "As such, I'm of the mind to refuse you, but since today is such a happy day for me, I may give you one final allowance depending on what you ask. What is it you would like for me to do?"

With a relieved expression, Rumple snapped his fingers, producing a small black rectangular box which reintegrated in the palm of his hand. Regina had no idea what it could hold inside, but knowing Rumple as she did, she was not particularly eager to find out.

She inclined her head toward the box. "What's that?"

"This is my request," he answered, holding it up for her to take. He held it there for quite a while due to her reluctance to take it without explanation. After a moment, he sighed. "It's harmless, I promise."

"You'll excuse me if your promises don't mean very much to me," she said. "Track record as it is..."

"Aye, and that is entirely my fault," he replied. "But I swear on the memory of my boy that this box is not dangerous, nor is what it contains. All I require is for you to open it."

"That's it?" she asked, brows raised.

Rumple nodded affirmatively. "That's it."

With a deep breath, Regina took the box from his hand. "Alright then, though I don't see what it will accomplish."

Gently, she grasped the top of the box and as soon as her fingers made contact, she felt a slight tremor in her magic and pulled her fingers away. It had almost felt as if some kind of spell was released upon contact, something familiar that she should recognize but not could pinpoint. For whatever reason, he had shrouded the magic in layers of complexities to disguise the root spell.

Skepticism flaring, she narrowed her eyes at Rumple, but he appeared to be watching her neutrally. "This box was enchanted. Why?"

"It was," he answered. "Not to worry, though. It was merely a simple spell to keep unwanted individuals from opening it. My things are very valuable, you know. It should have dissipated with your touch."

Although his face was still impassive after the explanation, Regina thought she saw something else in his eyes that she could not quite put her finger on. Her gut was telling her he was hiding something of great importance, but after watching him carefully for a moment with no further indications something might be amiss, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt as a gesture of good faith.

Taking the lid in her fingers once more, Regina pulled it upwards and it smoothly and easily slid off to reveal a small strand of what she recognized to be spun gold. She looked up at Rumple in confusion and was startled to see a small line of tears gathering in his eyes.

"I don't understand. What does this mean?"

Rumple turned to stare into the distance, his jaw tightly clenched. After a harsh breath and exhale, he bowed his head and tightly squeezed his eyes shut. "It means that your mother lied to me."

Regina wasn't sure what to make of his reaction to her having opened a simple box with spun gold inside, and his oblique statement only deepened her confusion. She knew he had a very complicated relationship with her mother, but that wasn't saying much considering the excessively long list of people with whom her mother had a complicated relationship during her life.

"My mother lied to everyone," Regina stated matter-of-factly. "I'm going to need a better explanation than that. What's the golden straw for?"

Breathing heavily through his nose, Rumple's jaw clenched again. He appeared absolutely stricken, betrayal and anger clearly written all over his face. Whatever was going on, he had said her mother was at the root of it, but that was par for the course where Cora Mills was concerned. After all, whether directly or indirectly, Regina's mother had a hand in almost everything bad that happened during her life, both in the Enchanted Forest and in Storybrooke.

Still, to see Rumplestiltskin so affected by something her mother had done worried Regina quite a bit, and it was especially disconcerting to see his distress so visibly on display. During her training, Rumple had always kept his emotions on a very tightly leash around her. He liked to tell her that revealing how you felt to someone was tantamount to handing them a weapon to use against you. Although that was a lesson she hadn't learned very well, she remembered it just the same. Still, besides his typically overtly exaggerated mannerisms, he had almost always conducted himself neutrally during her studies, and even after, she had rarely seen him so openly hurt and angry.

"It's the first straw your mother ever spun into gold," he finally explained after a few moments of tense silence. When he opened his eyes once more, Regina could see that the events leading up to the creation of the straw were playing through his mind. "Did she ever tell you the story?"

Regina nodded. "Yes, she did. Mother always wanted me to understand the power magic possessed to change your circumstances. How did you get it? She guarded her past ferociously."

Looking at Regina with slightly glassy eyes, he sighed. "She gave it to me as a gift before we parted ways."

Regina still didn't quite understand what was going on. "And so...you want me to have it? Because it was hers?"

Rumple looked a bit surprised at her conclusion, but recovered quickly. "Of course...that is, if you wish. We can even call it a peace offering if that suits you better."

Eyes narrowing, Regina studied Rumplestiltskin very closely. She had noticed that for a split second it seemed as if he were almost ready to confess something to her but changed his mind upon hearing the logically sound deduction she had offered, having seen it as an opportunity to duck out of revealing whatever he was going to.

"No, that's not it," Regina said, now highly suspicious. "You want me to have this for another reason. What is it?"

In response to her prodding, Rumple shook his head and his eyes lost their soft touch, becoming hard and resolute. "I can't tell you yet. You aren't ready and neither am I."

Regina was about to tear into him for his evasiveness after having just expressed the desire to mend their relationship, but was interrupted by movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to find a fully human Ruby approaching the bench with Sophia and Amelia flanking her, clutching tightly to their Mama's hands.

As Ruby looked back and forth between the two, Regina saw her wife straighten, her senses having obviously picked up on the building tension. After fixing sharp eyes on Rumple, Ruby then inclined her head in a cautious greeting. "Rumple."

He returned the gesture, though a bit more warmly than Ruby had. "Mrs. Mills."

"What are you doing here?"

"He was out for a walk and stopped by for a friendly chat," Regina interjected to deflect the oncoming trouble, having recognized even from a foot away the subtle hints of the wolf in her wife's eyes. "Isn't that right, Rumple?"

"Of course," he agreed smoothly, taking the out she offered, mostly, Regina knew, out of a sense of self-preservation.

For whatever reason, Ruby was the one person in town that Rumplestiltskin actually seemed to fear, though Regina could never make heads or tails of why that was. She had some theories, but mostly they were just conjecture, so she was hesitant to bring up her suspicions to Ruby or to leverage that fear against her former mentor. Be that as it may, she wasn't about to complain because Rumple's desire to avoid prolonged interaction with Ruby yielded the very pleasant side effect of limiting her own exposure to him.

Clearing his throat, Rumple then stood and straightened out his finely tailored coat and tie. "Though I did enjoy our chat, Regina," he said, "I really must be going. Belle is waiting at the Library for me, and I don't want to keep her long."

After tilting his head in salutation, he turned to depart, but Regina grabbed his forearm. He stopped and glanced at her sideways.

"We'll revisit this conversation at a later date," she told him. "I expect some answers then."

"Of course, dearie," he replied. Looking down at the girls, he smiled with genuine warmth. "You girls be good for your mothers. It is their anniversary after all, so it is a very special day for them."

"We will, Mr. Gold," Sophia replied carefully but very respectfully while her sister stared on with wide-eyed wonder.

Regina preened with pride at her little girl. Sophia seemed to have a balanced view of Gold, as if she could tell he was not a threat to her or her sister but was equally aware of how potentially dangerous he could be. Sophia, much like the brunette mother she so resembled, had highly developed senses that rarely led her astray. Regina was glad of it. She wouldn't stand for either of her daughters falling under the sway of her old mentor, though she doubted very seriously Rumple had such intentions.

Unlike Sophia, however, Amelia was fascinated by Rumplestiltskin, the elder gentleman who with the shiny teeth who could do magic and knew all sorts of stories about fantastical beasts and kings and queens and pirates and epic adventures. She reveled in his tales, and begged him to do parlor tricks for her, which to Regina's surprise he often acquiesced, quipping that he rather felt like Gandalf in Hobbiton when Amelia came around. For that reason, Rumple seemed to favor Amelia with his attention, but not enough that children so young could recognize the difference.

Of course, Amelia ate it up, but she was young and didn't know any better. Regina did. She knew enough about Gold's past that it should have precluded her from allowing him to spend any time at all with her children. She only tolerated his presence in their life at all because Ruby reassured her that his interest was not of the variety that alerted what she called her 'mama wolf instincts', and that she knew for certain he would never harm them, but would keep an eye on him nonetheless.

Regina was often left confused by the way Rumple would look at the girls. In those moments, there was no Dark One, no Mr. Gold, just Rumplestiltskin the humble spinner, a man Regina had never encountered before. She supposed he acted so strangely because of her complicated connection to him, but whatever the reason, it reminded her of the way he'd been with Henry after discovering that Baelfire was Henry's father, almost as if he considered them family, which was very strange. As such, he lavished them with expensive gifts on their birthdays and treated them to ice cream whenever he got the opportunity.

Regina tolerated those outings only when Belle was present, and only then because denying her children would unnecessarily hurt them, one of whom in particular adored him, and because such a knee-jerk reaction would only serve to provoke him. Thus far Rumple had not done anything untoward, but should he overstep in any way, Regina was prepared to take whatever steps necessary to protect her children, and she knew Ruby was as well.

After a final smile at the children that reflected the strange connection he seemed to feel with them, Rumple turned and walked away. As he faded into the greenery of the park, Amelia looked up at Ruby and asked, "Mommy, what's an annavasary?"

Chuckling, Ruby bent down in front of both girls. "It's ann-i-ver-sar-y, sweetie," she said to Amelia, purposefully drawing out the syllables so she could learn them. "And it means that on this day 4 years ago, your Mommy and I got married."

"Oh!" both girls exclaimed with wide eyes. The expression did not linger, though, because no more than two seconds later, Sophia was peering at Ruby with anxious expectation. "That's neat, Mama, but can you let the big doggy back out to play? Please?"

Smiling ruefully, Ruby looked up at Regina as if to say, ' _don't even think about_ _going there_ _._ ' Audibly, she replied, "For a while longer, but we have to leave soon, okay?" At that the girls cheered in triumph and bolted away toward the meadow, Ruby running after them, yelling at them to slow down.

Regina could not help but grin. She would have to remember that. When Ruby glanced back over her shoulder wearing a longsuffering smile, Regina winked suggestively, delighting in the way Ruby blushed despite sticking her tongue out and glaring.

Perhaps, Regina thought, she might ask Ruby to let the big doggy out to play later tonight as part of her anniversary gift. She did so love it when her wife tapped in to her animalistic aggression in the bedroom. The images that possibility produced made her shudder with anticipation, and as Regina watched Ruby and the girls make their way back into the field to play for a while longer, she put away all thoughts of Rumplestiltskin and his veiled implications.

Standing from the bench, she jogged out to meet her family and mostly for her daughters' benefit, began to squeal right along with them when her werewolf of a wife began to chase after them.

 _Maybe_ , Regina thought as Ruby tackled her and began playfully licking her face while she laughed, _a_ _nniversaries_ _aren_ _'t so bad after all_.

* * *

 **Maine State Prison** : 1 Month Later

As Thomas Hatter sat waiting at the visitors station, he nervously began wringing his hands together. He had never been introduced to the king he was fixing to meet, but he had heard tale of the man's cold practicality and vicious temper. He had imagined encountering this individual in more pleasant circumstances, but beggars could not be choosers, and Thomas had a job to do.

Jefferson, Thomas' brother, often told Thomas that he was an impossible dreamer. While that was certainly true at one time, as it turned out, that impossible dreamer had managed to not only reacquire the family business his brother had so thoughtlessly squandered, but had excelled in it to the degree that his reputation had spread far beyond the confines of the world he was born in.

Thomas was a highly sought after man, and was very proud of himself. He hoped to make a trip to Storybrooke soon after he had concluded his business with the King in order to rub Jefferson's face in his latest triumph. As he closed his eyes with a smirk, he could almost see the frustrated anger on his brother's face and the thought filled Thomas with a giddy sort of glee that made him want to giggle like a mad man. Considering his location, however, he refrained, though his smile did remain on his face until the door to the visiting area opened. Soon after, a shackled and white haired man was lead through and then made to sit down in front of him.

Thomas took a moment to study his potential customer. So this was King George, eh? Not much of a king these days, he supposed, but then again, who was in this wretched world that evil witch had cursed everyone into? Though he had no kingdom, Thomas thought George still very much held himself like a monarch. His back was straight and unbowed by his present circumstances, his face stony and unreadable, and his blue eyes were assessing Thomas as if deciding whether he was worth his time or not. Under the gaze, Thomas felt himself fidgeting more than he ought to have considering some of the individuals he had worked for in the past. George was, though diminished by his downfall, an impressive man.

After a moment of silence, King George, known in this world as Albert Spencer, reached over and grabbed the phone with which prisoners communicated with their visitors. Thomas took the one on his side and held it up to his ear.

"Your Majesty," Thomas greeted, hoping his voice wasn't shaking. "My name is Thomas Hatter. I'm here at your request."

The king smiled. Tired and proper as it was, it lacked any genuine emotion. "Mr. Hatter. Your services come highly recommended, even more so than your brother, which I might say is impressive indeed. Jefferson was a highly skilled and competent man. I utilized him on many occasions. It's a pity what happened to him due to his...association with the Queen."

"Yes, sire, that's true," Thomas replied, not liking being compared to his brother but not daring to correct a king, even one behind bars. "My brother was highly favored in his trade, though I believe that he is now glad to be rid of the burden of the family business. He had changed once he married and had a child. However, I have no such obligations, sire, so my services will be rendered in earnest and without reserve."

The king nodded and his smile grew a bit more genuine. "That's very good to hear, Mr. Hatter, because I have a task for you that will require a great deal of time, effort and dedication. It will likely place you in danger, and the end result of that task is unseemly to some of weaker natures. Before you agree to anything, you must know this."

"Forgive me for being blunt, sire, but that's not anything I wasn't expecting," Thomas replied honestly. "I face danger nearly every time I conduct business. It's a hazard of the job."

"Very well," the king said, pleased by Thomas' willingness to take on his unseemly task. "Have you read over the requirements my colleague provided you?"

Thomas nodded. "I have, sire."

"What do you think?"

Looking the king directly in the eyes, Thomas smiled confidently. "I believe I can procure what you require, sire. It may, as you said, take some time and effort, but anything is possible for the right price."

Returning the smile, the king replied, "And by that, am I to assume you are pleased with the proposed compensation?"

"More than pleased, sire." And it was true. Thomas was being paid handsomely by George, not only in gold, but in information – the kind which his true master required.

As suddenly as the smile had appeared on the king's face, it disappeared and was replaced by an expression of grave magnitude. He leaned forward and fixed Thomas with his piercing gaze.

"Do we have an agreement, then?"

Swallowing thickly, Thomas nodded in a jerky movement. He needed to appear intimidated. Such was the best way of convincing people like George used to getting their way that they were in control. However, George was not in control. The Master was.

"Yes, sire," Thomas replied in a purposefully shaky voice. "We do."

With the agreement secured, the cloud of dark tension lifted and a genial smile returned to King George's face. "Excellent. When you leave here, contact my colleague at the provided number and he will deliver your contract. Once signed, you will be given contact information and access to your discretionary funds for procuring the necessary materials. You will be paid half up front and the rest – including the requested location of my dossiers on Xavier's realm – upon completion of your task. Lastly, I expect to be kept apprised of your progress as diligently as possible."

Again, Thomas nodded. "Of course, sire, by all means. I must warn you, however, that communication will be difficult as...out of hand as I will be."

"I understand that," the king replied as he stood from his chair, "just do what you can."

Bowing his head in understanding that their meeting was at an end, Thomas answered with a combination of false nervousness and gratitude. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will."

At that, the king sharply nodded once. "I look forward to hearing from you soon then, Mr. Hatter. May the gods smile upon you."

"Thank you, sire," Thomas said, and with that, the king replaced the phone in its hanger and was promptly lead away.

Thomas let out a sigh of relief. The meeting had gone very well and the king seemed more than confident in his ability to complete the task he was hiring him for. True, the job was difficult, would likely be fraught with danger, would take many, many months of travel, and was very unsavory but the reward would be well worth it. Besides, it wasn't as if he hadn't killed before; a dreamer though he was, he had never been quite so principled and hampered by conscience as his brother.

Idly, he wondered what the target had done to incur the wrath of a king, but Thomas decided he didn't care. In the end, he had a job to do and whether this Ruby Lucas deserved her fate or not was none of his concern. The king wanted her dead and had paid handsomely to see it done. That it was all according to a grander plan meant to prepare the girl for her ultimate purpose was none of George's concern.

 _Yes_ , he thought to himself, _the Master will be very pleased_. And as he at last exited the prison, he whistled merrily all the way to his car.

* * *

 **Notes** :

So, that's it for now from our heroines. Sadly, we will not hear from Ruby or Regina again in this story. Their tale awaits the sequel, which has been in production for quite some time, but keeps getting waylaid by the copious amounts of fanfics I read as well as the side projects that are consuming my time and attention. One of these days I will get it finished so I can start editing and posting. ;)

I hope everyone enjoyed the ride. I know I really put Ruby and Regina through the ringer, but I think they had a nice ending, don't you? They are happily married and are raising their baby girls surrounded by family and friends who love them. Regina is continue her personal growth and Ruby, well, she's living her dreams. But something is happening to Ruby that Regina notes in this chapter, and which will come into play in part two of this little universe. Hope y'all caught it.

The stuff with Rumple is setup as well. That conversation was not without purpose. He had a very specific reason for asking what he did of Regina. I'm sure those who paid attention to the show will be able to figure out what it was, and the huge implications.

As for Mr. Spencer and Mr. Hatter, their plans are divergent, as is hinted in Thomas' internal musings. Thomas works for Spencer only so far as it is getting what his master wants. And who is his master? Well, if you were paying attention earlier in the story where Diana paid Ruby a visit while she was out of it, then you'll know who this mysterious villain is, and have a good idea of what he wants.

Originally, this chapter was the finale of this story, but I've since added an additional epilogue to further set up the sequel, so look for that early next week.

Hope y'all enjoyed this one! Later taters!


	25. Epilogue B: Mistakes Were Made

**Standard Disclaimer** : The characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing their strings for a while, so don't sue me please! Please point out any errors in grammar or spelling privately and I will correct them.

* * *

 **Chapter 24** – Epilogue B: Mistakes Were Made

 **1 Year, 6 months later...**

Albert Spencer was tired; he was tired of waiting for his vengeance and he was so very tired of waiting on that preening imbecile, Thomas Hatter, to fulfill his end of the bargain that was struck 18 months ago. The discovery that there was yet an active portal jumper in Storybrooke had stoked the flames of vengeance in Albert, and as a result, what patience he had developed during his long imprisonment now hung precariously in the balance. He wanted the Lucas girl dead, and the sooner the better.

As a former king, he was accustomed to his whims being indulged immediately, no matter how inane or draconian. Back in the Enchanted Forest, when he doled out sentences, whether the crime be corporal or capital, his judgment was executed without delay. But Albert was no longer king, he had no subjects in this concrete dungeon, and therefore lacked power to exert the proper motivation for haste upon what few subordinates remained at his disposal. Without a means to properly leverage Hatter, he was reduced to relying instead on trusting the man's word, and that was a hard pill to swallow for someone used to having layers of assurance that his will would be accomplished, even if his primary lackey proved too inept.

As if to exacerbate the situation, Hatter was beyond his reach, having departed from this world long ago to seek out the necessary ingredients with which to achieve Albert's long dreamt of revenge. Even if he wanted to, he could not speak to the man, or even write to him. All Albert could do was wait for Hatter to contact him, and he was tired of waiting.

" _Curse him_ ," he thought to himself as he paced about his tiny cell, wishing Thomas Hatter was before him so that he could throttle the realm hopping mercenary. If he did not hear from Hatter soon, he would have to assume the mission failed. If that was indeed the case, he would then need to seek other means to put an end to that mangy Lucas mutt.

However impatient he was growing for news, Albert was not yet ready to give up just yet. He decided to extend the assassin another fortnight before reaching out to one of his other contacts who might be able to help him.

Fortunately for him, there turned out to be no need, as that very day at mail call, a letter arrived from Thomas Hatter. After receiving the letter with barely constrained glee, Albert obediently permitted the guards to lead him back to his cell, and only after the thick iron doors shut closed behind them did he allow himself to react openly. Now alone, a wide grin formed across his haggard face, which along with his striking blue eyes, leant an air to him as if he were on the brink of insanity.

"Well, let's see what our dear Mr. Hatter has to say," he muttered as he tore at the envelope and took out the folded letter inside.

His eyes skimmed over the words very quickly, taking in the veiled message of the letter; as they did, they grew wider and more energetic with each passing line. Hatter had been very clever to bypass the prison censors. It read:

" _To_ _My Esteemed Employer_ _,_ _Mr. Albert Spencer,_

 _Greetings,_

 _I apologize greatly for the excessive delay in correspondence, but as you well know, what I do is not an exact science. I have visited many lands in pursuit of our objective, one of which incurred a delay, as time seemed to slip by without my notice. Even so, fear not. I finally have good tidings: I have located what we seek._

 _The scroll that contains the necessary information was located in a remote land that was problematic to travel to, but once I procured it, I took great measures to then acquire the necessary materials to properly utilize it. 13 months I spent in the searching and then another 4 in finding an adequate professional to...translate...an item of such intricacy._

 _For a scarce moment, I had considered approaching an individual of dubious character with whom my brother was so famously associated, but I dared not since his leanings as of late have been altogether unaligned to your cause. Rest assured, however, for after much work carousing with locals and greasing the palms of various dignitaries, I located said professional._

 _I must confess with all honesty that I depleted the entirety of my funds in securing his services, but it was well worth the cost. It works!_

 _Obtaining a test subject with attributes resembling those of the intended recipient of your most generous gift was not easy, but I managed to procure one in our old homeland. Despite the difficulty, I am pleased to report that the gift was enjoyed for 24 hours, though after that, all enjoyment ceased. I cannot say with 100% certainty that the effect is universal, as everyone reacts differently to such gifts, but what I am certain of is that you will be well satisfied._

 _In conclusion, I believe the endeavor to have been a success and I will soon be returning home. I will contact you once I arrive and await further instructions on how to proceed._

 _Lastly, before I departed home, I was able to meet with your contact over the border and they passed along your payment, as I am sure you were informed. The information it contained will be most helpful. Consider your part of our agreement fulfilled. Soon, mine will be as well._

 _With deepest regards, your faithful servant,_

 _Thomas Hatter_ "

Now positively giddy, Albert laughed. He would soon have his vengeance. With the letter clutched in his hand, he laid down in bed and after having reread it thrice more, fell asleep with a grin on his face.

* * *

 **Six Weeks Later**

Albert was awakened from a deep sleep by a banging on his cell door. He grumbled in displeasure at the interruption. He had been having the most delightful dream of Ruby Lucas losing control of herself and tearing her own wife's throat out under the influence of the potion he had commissioned.

" _Oh, well_ ," he thought, only slightly irritated, " _it's only a matter of time before it_ _becomes a_ _reality._ " When it did, Albert had ever intention of savoring the aftermath.

The day, he knew, would not be long in coming, for the previous week he had been contacted by the hatter that all was ready for deployment. Albert had greedily given the man the green light to proceed with their plan, which meant that any day now, Thomas would approach the Lucas girl in order to administer the potion, and thereafter Albert's moment of victory would commence.

"Up and at 'em, Spencer," the gruff voice of a guard called out from the other side of the door. "You have a visitor. Don't wanna keep 'em waitin' do ya?"

"A visitor?" he asked, his voice scratchy from sleep. He was quite honestly baffled. Only a handful of loyal associates had bothered to visit him in prison, and none were scheduled to do so that day. He peered up at the small square window in the door, giving the glaring guard a curious glance. "Who is it?"

The guard rolled his eyes. "Hell if I know and hell if I care. Now get up and get a move on!"

"Fine," Albert sighed as he rolled out of bed.

He bent down to slip on his shoes before standing up and walking over to the door. Once protocol was followed, a buzzer sounded and his cell door opened to reveal his least favorite guard, a behemoth of a man named Mike, standing with his arms crossed imposingly over his chest. The look on Mike's ugly face was settled somewhere between open hostility and bored disinterest.

In automatic fashion borne of countless repetition, Albert presented his hands to the guard, who then shackled them and then bent down to shackle his ankles as well. Once secured in the restraints, Mike silently turned and pointed down the hallway.

"Move your ass."

"By all means," Albert replied and then began to shuffle down the hallway with Mike the ham-fisted-and-dimwitted guard nipping at his heels.

By the time they reached the visitor's area, Albert was steaming with indignation. Even after years of enduring such blatant disrespect, he still loathed the impotence and humiliation that accompanied being a prisoner. But there would be a day when all of that would end, and it would not be long in coming. After calling in every single favor owed to him, his release was already in the works. Very soon, he was going to walk right out of this hellhole of a prison so that he could witness the aftermath of his triumph firsthand.

As they reached the visitation area, Mike the guard lead him over to one of the center-most stations, one of his enormous paws heavy on Albert's shoulder as he guided Albert roughly into the chair. The former king closed his eyes and bit his cheek against white-hot outrage. After taking a deep breath, he felt the guard move away, so he turned his vision up to the glass to look upon the visage of his visitor. He was startled by the face that greeted him.

Though worn beyond her years and stricken gaunt by what appeared to be some severe illness, Albert well-recognized his late wife's favorite handmaid. On the other side of the window, the pale woman picked up the phone with trembling hands, and Albert did the same, holding the receiver up to his ear.

"Reila," he said once assured she could hear him, his surprise at her presence evident in his tone.

"Your Majesty," she replied, her voice still strong despite her frail physical appearance.

That Reila had referred to him by his honorific pleased Albert; it gave him an early advantage in his interaction with her. Fixing her with a sharp gaze, he leaned his elbows on the table in a subtle tactic of intimidation, which worked splendidly, as Reila's eyes widened anxiously and she startled back slightly.

"I thought never to see you again after the death of my son," he then pressed her in a cold but commanding manner. "You disappeared in the dead of night and though I tried, I could never locate you."

"Yes, sire," she replied, meeting his eyes with a measure of proud defiance shining through her fear. Albert wanted to wipe the look off her face but schooled his features so as to better glean information about what happened that fateful night which had so long haunted him. "I knew what people would think, and I also knew what would happen to me were I to be apprehended."

Albert leaned back into his chair, increasing the distance between them to set her at ease. Though Reila remained tense, she lost her skittish edge.

"You might think that a logical assumption," he said, "but I assure you that while most concluded you to be the guilty party, you were never a suspect in my eyes. My anger was never directed at you, Reila. You were as much her victim as my wife, my son and I were."

Reila faltered at his words. Looking sad and repentant, she hung her head. "I thought she cared about me," she whispered, clearly ashamed of her poor choice in associates. "I thought she was my friend but she was just using me to get to you. I see that now, but I don't regret running. I can't. I had no choice."

"Of course you had a choice," Albert shouted, his abrupt outburst eliciting a visible reaction from Reila. A meaty hand landed on his shoulder as a reminder of where he was and what would be done to him if he did not behave. After forcibly calming himself by taking a succession of deep, measured breaths, he continued more calmly. "Despite what you believe, Reila, you did have a choice. Even had I blamed you, Helena would have shielded you from judgment, and you well know the influence she wielded over me."

Still slightly anxious, Reila hesitantly met his gaze. "I didn't just run because I feared judgment, sire. I ran because of what she did next."

Now Albert's interest was piqued. He leaned forward again, keen to hear what Reila had to say. "Go on."

"After what she did to your son, Anita knew you would be after her head," the sickly woman explained as a tear leaked down her face. She batted it away with a shaking hand. "Foolhardy woman that she was, I think she would have gladly confronted you to rub it in your face had things not been as they were. However, there were...extenuating circumstances that prompted her flight...and mine."

Albert didn't know whether to be intrigued or irate, but he was sure he was feeling both at that moment. The death of his son had been a plague on his mind since the day it happened, and the only person he blamed more than himself was Anita. The very mention of her name set his teeth on edge. It was hard to contain the decades long rage that she had lit aflame in his heart, now reignited by Reila's reappearance, but he did so. He could not afford to lose control of his faculties in so fragile and important a conversation, and after all, some of the blame for what happened lay with him.

Albert was a man who tended to overlook his faults, but even he could admit he had behaved shamefully toward Anita. He regretted the way he had treated her deeply, if only because of the fallout that ensued. The way he ended things between them was cruel and cowardly, and he had arranged it that way in order to hurt her deeply enough that she would give up on him.

The reason for his insensitivity was that his wife had discovered the affair and demanded he end it lest she publicly leave him, which he could not allow to happen. The stability of the kingdom was already tenuous at best, and such a scandal would only have escalated the destabilization. He had loved Anita enough to bear his wife's indignation, but not enough to put his kingdom at risk.

As it was with how things went down, he had felt she had every right to retaliate, but not to the extent she had gone to, which was far beyond the scope of his wrongs. What Anita did to his son was both grotesque and unforgivable. She had taken out her hurt on an innocent boy who was not party to the affair between two consenting adults, and to make matters worse, her escape had denied Albert the opportunity to respond in kind.

Two decades passed before he learned of Anita's demise at the hands of her own werewolf spawn, whoever that poor soul was. Upon hearing that news, he had flown into a destructive fury the likes of which had never been equaled. Irate that he had been denied satisfaction, he set about hunting down every werewolf in his kingdom, but even persecuting Anita's brethren and burning them at the stake in effigy could not sate his unnatural lust for payback. In order to protect his sanity, he had to find a new target for his hatred, so he transferred all of that which he bore for Anita onto his ex-lover's unnamed daughter, justifying his hunt for that innocent party by rationalizing that it was poetic justice. His son had paid for his sins, and now Anita's daughter would have to pay for hers. The only obstacle was locating the girl, who he was told had fled into the wilderness with the fugitive princess Snow White.

Unfortunately, he was never able to secure her capture, and his sons death went unavenged. He supposed that was why he had attached his rancor onto the Lucas girl in Storybrooke. As the only werewolf of the appropriate age, she was the only logical substitute.

But now the woman sitting across from him represented a form of closure he had never before been offered, and he was caught between dueling desires. A part of him wanted to take the out, to let go of his hatred by learning of Anita's fate and burying it alone with her memory, and yet the way Reila was describing Anita's attitude stoked those old feelings right back up again, only serving to deepen his craving for the blood of Anita's offspring. Still, as unsure as he was of Reila's motivations, he wasn't convinced as to whether or not he should trust the information. He needed to dig a little deeper.

"Before we go any further," he said, still seething but bottling it up internally lest his fury frighten Reila away, "I want to know why you're telling me this now. Why wait for so long?"

With a muted sob, Reila brought her hand to her mouth and clenched her eyes shut. "I'm dying, your majesty: lung cancer that's spread to my kidneys and liver. I have weeks to live and nothing to lose. But more than that, you need to know this before I die. You have a _right_ to know."

Nodding, Albert inclined his head in tentative acceptance of her motivations. "Alright, then. So what were these extenuating circumstances you mentioned?"

As Reila opened her eyes to meet his, Albert felt something shift in the air, like something enormous was about to happen and he was powerless to properly prepare for it. His spine began to tingle uncomfortably as he met the dark eyes of a woman who was gazing into the face of death, a woman with nothing to lose by telling the truth. But it was the grief in them for his sake that startled him most. It was as if Reila was apologizing wordlessly, profoundly grieved over stealing something so immeasurably precious to him that even her death's door confession could not absolve her.

"She was pregnant, your Majesty," she finally said, her words cutting heavily through the tense atmosphere.

For a moment, Albert sat silent and motionless, absorbing the information but not making a relevant connection. "So?" he said at last, not seeing how that information pertained to him. Though he should have, his hatred of Anita had blinded him to the truth that staring him right in the face. Not wanting to face reality, he rationalized that she could have had taken a lover besides himself after he ended their affair, but he was only deluding himself.

"She knew no other man while living in our kingdom," Reila then stated, and the earnestness in her expression was obvious even to a man in the throes of denial. "Despite the rumors to the contrary, she loved you, and spurned all other offers." Reila took a deep, shuddering breath and then blew it out. "The child was yours, sire."

Albert sat back in shock. For a long moment, he was too stunned to react and could do nothing but stare at the bleary eyed woman before him. As he digested what she had told him, his initial reaction was disbelief, though the more he thought about it, the more he recognized it was indeed possible. The very possibility of him having a living child left him reeling, and that vulnerability allowed a flood of memories to wash over him.

His ill-fated affair with Anita had begun about a year after the birth of his son. That had been a very lonely and trying time for both him and his kingdom, as nearly all at once, the kingdom had been hit by several devastating blows. The southern regions had been in the midst of a severe drought and surpluses of grain and corn were running low. There were also scattered reports of ogre activity from the towns and villages along the northern border, threatening the stability of the whole kingdom. As if things were not bad enough, a regrettable diplomatic miscue had resulted in tension between himself and King Midas.

Dealing with all of these crises simultaneously had left Albert living in an almost constant state of stress. He was continually busy during the days and got little rest at night. Adding to all of that was the fact that his wife had all but withdrawn interest from nearly everything and everyone save his son after giving birth. Feeling isolated and under fire, he had needed an outlet, something he could do to prove to himself and his people that was not a weak, ineffectual leader. He had therefore chosen to ride out to the northern border to inspect as to whether the reports of ogre activity he had been receiving were indeed accurate.

It was during this time that Anita had come into his life. He had been out near dawn with his retinue of military advisers when they were attacked unexpectedly by some bandits who had been camouflaged amongst the line of trees on their left flank. Albert was a gifted fighter and at that time still in his prime, but his light force had simply been overwhelmed; at least they were until a blur of movement entered unexpectedly into the fray. The masked and hooded individual then began picking off bandits with a deft skill and grace that he had thought at the time unmatched. The timely arrival of their savior turned the tide, and it wasn't long after that the few remaining attackers fled for their lives into the forest from which they came.

Heartily impressed and deeply indebted to the person who had sprung to his aid, Albert dismounted and called the individual over to him. As the mysterious rescuer neared, he was shocked to recognize it was not the form of a man, but a woman of tall stature, well-proportioned, and physically impressive beyond her unusual height. When she was at last standing before him, he introduced himself as the king and requested for her to reveal herself, to which she obliged.

As she pulled the hood of her cloak down, a curtain of brown hair spilled down and over her shoulders, ending near the small of her back. Next, she removed her mask and to say he had been instantly smitten would have been grossly understating his reaction, because the face that was revealed to him was both sharp and beautiful in its features, with a strong jawline, supple looking lips, and highly carved cheeks. Her brown eyes were blazing in the light of the rising sun, and she was wearing an expression of fierce pride.

Albert took a tremulous breath. He had not thought of that day in many long years, having banished it long ago from his mind. It hurt too much to think about Anita that way, strong and proud and beautiful. He had fallen in love with her almost immediately, and even when he had discovered what she was, his love had not dimmed. And though the affair ended in tragedy, there was still a part of him that refused to relinquish her memory. To survive, he buried that part of his heart under endless layers of callous contempt, but it was always there in the background, lingering in his mind, driving him to purge it by increasingly deplorable acts that never quite served to rid him of her.

After all this time, being told that there might have been a very real consequence to their lover had those old feelings unexpectedly surfacing. Reeling as he was, he was having difficulty processing the information being presented to him, and being the cynical old man that he was, he couldn't help but wonder whether or not Anita had lied to Reila in order to evoke sympathy.

He turned sharp eyes back on Reila. "How certain are you that what you have just told me is true?"

"Very certain, sire," she replied as tears leaked down her face. She then began to elaborate. "Anita told me herself that she was running away because she was pregnant with your child. I had no reason to doubt her word then, and I still don't. I was her best friend in the castle, so it was only natural that she confided everything in me. As such, I was privy to the knowledge of the...relationship. No one else besides you, her, and myself knew of it at the time, you see, so what reason would she have to lie?

"As such, I believed her and decided to help her when she requested that I accompany her until the she gave birth. After packing what few belongings we could carry, we fled to King Leopold's realm and settled in a remote village on the outskirts of town. Six months later, Anita gave birth to a healthy baby girl and to my great surprise, entrusted me with the child's care. As soon as she was recovered enough from the birth to walk, she took off and I never saw or heard from her again."

At this, Reila paused and her face took on a pinched expression of deep remorse. Instinctively recognizing the gravity of what was about to be said, Albert withheld comment.

"But I wasn't ready to be a mother, your Majesty," she at last continued, her voice laden with guilt, "and especially not to a Child of the Moon. I was young and unequipped to deal with the situation, so I panicked."

Whatever he thought of Reila's actions after the death of his son, Albert was at least convinced that she was telling the truth now. He was very good at reading people and there were no signs of deception in her mannerisms, in her voice, in her eyes, or in her face. Having concluded her information to be genuine, the ramifications of her ending statement left him anxious, especially with how distressed she appeared, and his concern was only increased due to the fact that it was his child – albeit one he was unaware he had – that she was referring to in the past tense.

He leaned forward until his face was nearly touching the glass divider and sternly regarded the emotionally distraught woman. As he stared into her glassy eyes, his free hand gripped the table until the bones and ligaments were creaking and popping in protest. When he at last spoke a few seconds later, it was through gritted teeth.

"What did you do, Reila?" he demanded. "What did you do with my child?"

Now hiccuping from her tears, Reila sniffed and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her blouse. She averted her eyes from Albert's piercing gaze for a split second, but when she turned them back, they were charged with so much emotion that he could tell a bombshell was about to go off that would level his life almost as thoroughly as his son's death had.

Reila's expression crumbled again. "I gave her to her grandmother, sire, who lived in isolation nearby. I didn't know what else to do! I had no one else to turn to!"

"Reila, look at me," Albert commanded in his most regally authoritative voice. When she complied, he purposefully softened his gaze. The last thing he needed was for the infirm woman to keel over from hysterical fear over any potential retribution. It was clear Reila was not long for the world, therefore he had no such intentions. "I understand that you were put in an impossible situation," he then offered to assauge her concerns. "I'm not angry at you, but I need you to tell me: what was the grandmother's name?"

Tears still streaking down her wan face, Reila then spoke the words that ground the imaginary kingdom of Albert Spencer into dust. All of the years he had spent in prison envisioning the moment his victory at last arrived, conjuring up scenarios of how he would celebrate the downfall of the object of his acrimony, were all rendered irrelevant, made insignificant with one piece of vital information that had he been made aware of it long ago, everything would be different. The revelation of his daughter's identity would send his entire life, past, present, and future alike, spiraling into uncertainty.

"All I know of her grandmother's name was the surname," Reila then informed him. "It was Lucas, sire. In her village, they called her the widow Lucas. But in this world, I believe that they refer to her as Granny."

Upon the connection at last being made blatant, Albert sat back with a startled gasp and clutched at his chest as if his heart were about leap out of it. All of this time, his daughter – his heir, his legacy – had been right under his very nose, and he hadn't even known it. The universe was truly cruel to have brought about this turn of events. Ruby Lucas was his daughter. It was devastating news in the light of his past actions.

Ignorant of her true identity as he was, he had spent an inordinate amount of time obsessing over her whereabouts, scheming to exact his revenge through her, and had expended all of his energy in hating her even though she had never done anything to him but for the mere fact of her existence. And for what? So that he could fail so spectacularly as to wind up in prison, denuded of power and dignity, only to learn that all of his efforts had been bent toward the destruction of his own flesh and blood.

With his heart pounding a terrific rhythm in his chest, a terrible thought suddenly crossed his mind. What if he had killed the girl back in the Enchanted Forest without ever knowing who she was? He would have lived out his life in perverse satisfaction, fueled by celebrating the needless end of his own bloodline. But eventually Reila would have turned up to do the right thing as she had just done now. And then what? What would he have done upon discovering he had killed his own daughter? In all likelihood, he would have gone mad, but if he hadn't, his subsequent misery would have driven him into a perpetual and dark depression that would have invariably landed him, one way or another, in an early grave.

Or what if his machinations in Storybrooke had landed the girl in his current predicament, that is to say, incarcerated, without hope, stripped of her freedom for something she did not do, and left to languish in prison only to suffer indignities far worst than Albert ever had? In prison, that girl would have been little more than a commodity to be passed around by those who wielded true power in such places, a beautiful face and a desirable body to be exploited without any regard for her humanity. For a girl like Ruby Lucas, full of life, a need to be free, and a desire to be loved, such a fate would be worse than death. Just thinking such things made Albert feel nauseous.

But worse yet, what if the potion he had commissioned Thomas Hatter to create really did work? The suffering his daughter would soon be forced to endure would be without parallel.

"Oh, my God," he moaned as he began to surrender to a foreign and disquieting torrent of emotions aside from anger and hatred for the first time in years. He was afraid in a way he had not been since his childhood when the ogres invaded the kingdom and killed his parents. "I've made a terrible mistake!"

And he had. A mistake of epic proportions. Unbeknownst to him, he had arranged his own daughter's death and it was far too late for him to do anything about it.

Despite how antagonistic his relationship with Ruby Lucas had been and how much he had hated her, knowing that she was his daughter changed everything. He had no other relatives to whom he could bequeath his title and inheritance. For that reason alone, she had to live. But what's more, he had already lost two sons, and he didn't think he could survive losing another child, especially with the knowledge that he was directly responsible for her demise.

Albert had only one option remaining now, and it took the form a woman he was loathe to ask for help due to their long, sketchy past. And yet he knew he had no other choice. In order for his daughter to live, his pride would have to take a back seat to necessity.

But for that meeting to even happen, he was going to have to require Reila's service one last time. He just hoped that she would be amenable to his request, and furthermore that the recipient of the message would accept the urgency of it as truthful and act upon it accordingly. Considering that the one person for whose welfare they now shared a common interest was in mortal danger, perhaps she would heed his warning. He prayed to the gods that she did, because if she rejected it out of spite, his only living child would assuredly die an agonizing death.

Setting his eyes upon Reila with as much determination to save Ruby Lucas as he had previously wielded to arrange her death, he attempted to convey the critical nature of his request.

"Reila," he began gravely, "as your king, I must ask one last thing of you. Would you be willing to grant me that?"

In response, Reila bowed her head in a dignified manner that was completely antithetical to her physical condition and then nodded once. "Yes, your Majesty, I would."

"Good, very good," Albert replied with hesitant relief. "I thank you."

Lifting her head, Reila then quirked an eyebrow and smiled. "I am your most humble servant, sire. What would you ask of me?"

With an answering smile, Albert leaned in. "The second you leave this place, I need for you to place a phone call."

"To whom, sire?"

"To Regina Mills..."

The End...or is it?

* * *

 **Notes** : Well, that's it folks! This one is done. I think I gave Ruby and Regina a nice, happy ending with chapter 23, and I know I left it on a cliffie, but there is a good reason for that.

There is a sequel in the works that I am nearly finished writing the rough draft for. I lack about six chapters, and I could probably finish them within a month if I buckled down. But I have too many projects in the queue, two of which are warring for a spot in this coming years Red Queen Week (assuming there is one). I don't predict that I'll begin posting the sequel until after that, so it will be at least October if not November or later before the sequel starts going up. However, I do intend to write some one shots in the meantime pertaining to this AUniverse, and I will be taking prompts via PM should anyone have a request. I won't make a promise that I'll get to every one, but I will certainly try my best!

Lastly, it's been a long, wild ride, and I am thrilled that you all decided to come along with me on it. Thank you to each and every one of you who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed my little corner of this fandom. I appreciate each and every one of you all! I hope this story was as enjoyable for you all to read as it was for me to write. And with that, I will sign off. See you all in the next one!

P.S. This fic was brought to you by the following examples of audible awesomeness, and many more that shall go unlisted: Ray Lamantagne "Let It Be Me", Foreigner "I Want To Know What Love Is", Van Halen "I Can't Stop Loving You", Aerosmith "Deuces Are Wild"; Sixx A.M. "Life is Beautiful"; Peter Cetera "Glory of Love"; Bryan Adams "Heaven"; Van Morrison "Brown Eyed Girl"; and last but not least, various tracks from the genius composers: Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Howard Shore, and Two Steps from Hell.


End file.
